Wow, it's Thursday

I can't believe it's Thursday already. Not sure where this week went. It's another rainy day here in the NE area. I have a lot more to accomplish before taking off for RomantiCon so I'll take the rain.
Speaking of RomantiCon, the DH and I are leaving Wednesday. We're driving, because I hate to fly. He's so good to me to make this trip and hang out with a bunch of women. :o) I'll have my car so he can sight see if he wants.
I'll be having a few specials guests while away so please stop by and show them some love. They'll be familiar faces.

In other news I received a release date for my Christmas story of Dec 10th, but because I haven't received a contract yet, I'll wait to give you all the deets.

Off to finish editing Sex on the Beach for my editor and I have to write a synopsis for a call out one of my publishers is doing.

Happy Thursday!

Another Rainy Day and Mean People Suck

You know the saying When it Rains it Pours? Well today is one of those days. Last night I went to bed having to deal with an issue I thought we put behind us last school year. It seems the girl who was tormenting my daughter about the loss of her brother has started up again. Of course L was very upset by her taunts. I got to witness firsthand what the girl was saying when my daughter showed me on Facebook. So now I’m dealing with the police and a cyber bullying issue.
Then I wake to learn a close friend has lost her husband unexpectedly. My heart goes out to her and her family. To make matters worse another good friend had some unfortunate things happen to her. Enough already.
I’m not sure what I had planned to blog about originally, but needless to say it’s gone.
On a side note, my Loose Id Adrift is up for Favorite 5 Heart Review over at The Romance Studio; if you would like to vote please do so here. http://theromancestudio.com/5heart_form.php
I’m up against some awesome writers so I’ll understand if you cast a vote for someone else. J
Maybe tomorrow will be a better day.
Happy Tuesday!

Rainy Monday

After a week of wonderful weather I woke up to a cloudy, dreary, rainy day. I have so much on my to-do list and the only thing I feel like doing is crawling back into bed and sleeping the day away.
On Friday, with some of the donations we received in memory of our son, we held a luncheon for all nurses who cared for him during his short stay in the NICU. We really did something for every shift, but we spent lunch with the day shift. They were so appreciative and we were humbled. WE were the appreciative ones. While he didn’t survive the care he received while there was incredible. Their jobs are difficult as far as I’m concerned, they’re heroes. As one nurse said, “There’s no happy medium. It’s either really good or really bad.”
We had a busy fun weekend. It was kid-free for the most part and we enjoyed it immensely. Today of course we’re back to the rat race of work, school and all that fun stuff.
I need to spent the day doing self-edits on my finished wip. I’d like to get it off my plate before leaving for Romanticon next week, along with another quickie I’ve been writing since last Friday. I’m hoping to have that finished by this Friday or Monday the latest.
Time to get busy before I chose the bed!
Did you have a fun weekend?
Happy Monday.

Cover Art - Gettin' Lucky

Yay it's Friday and I'm not only excited about the fact the weekend is here, but I can show everyone my new cover. I was thrilled when the women of the Cougar Challenge asked me to be part of the series. My story doesn't come out until Nov 17th, but the cover art goddess Syneca has blessed me with yet another one of her great creations.

Happy Friday!

A Good Day

First off I have to give a big Thank You to the wonderful and talented Selena Illyria, who has once again pointed me in the direction of an awesome review of mine. I also would like to thank Theresa, at The Romance Studio for the fantastic review of Adrift.
As all writers’ do, I fretted over how this new book would be received. It was my first time writing M/M/F. I’ve written many ménage’s, but they were all M/F/M. Adrift was a hit with TRS. A Five Heart review! To read it go here:
http://theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/adriftskyze.htm
In other news I’ve finished my latest wip, a contemporary M/F, called Sex on the Beach (tentatively titled). I’m going to let it sit for a few days before I edit and send it off.
The warm weather had returned to New England. I spent a few hours on the pool deck yesterday and hope to get a few more in today. The day job has quieted down for this month so I get to enjoy some leisure time. Also all my promo stuff is pretty much done for Romanticon. I can’t believe it’s only two weeks away. I can’t wait to meet all my awesome friends and fellow authors.
Fran Lee and I will be doing a Reader based workshop. I’ll also be joining the lovely ladies of the Cougar Challenge series for a workshop…oh and tomorrow I’ll be showcasing my lovely new Cougar cover art. The lovely Syneca has worked her magic yet again.
Happy Thursday!

One Four All - Julia Barrett

I'm honored to tell everyone about Julia's newest release One Four All. This menage looks scorching and I'm suggesting you run out and grab your copy now! :o)



Buy here:

http://www.bookstrand.com/one-four-all



Here's a little taste:

[Ménage Amour: Erotic Sci-Fi Ménage a Quatre Romance, M/F/M/M]
Lira Pakan, heir to the Throne of Zhinshu, has vanished. Her zealots gather along the border with the neighboring state of Khubuk, awaiting the outcome of her father's pleas to the World Court.
Captain Tanner Kepp serves in the elite Special Forces of Khubuk. When the captain is ordered to choose two men to accompany him to Land's End, an isolated compound on the maritime border between Khubuk and Zinshu, the last thing he expects to find is the missing princess.
Captain Kepp, Arms Master Cer Watso and Sergeant Redda Till realize they must rescue her and avert all out war.
The princess, however, has other plans. These men can be more than her rescuers. According to the law of Zhinshu, she must choose three men as consorts. Her people say: "one to guard the right hand, one to guard the left hand, and one to guard the back, always."

What are you waiting for - go buy your copy!!! LOL

Pinch Me

I'm blogging over at a Pinch of Romance about my families encounter with Voyeurism.

Jumping Right Back into the Week

It’s Monday again. I’m taking it easy today. Yes, I’m working the dreaded day job, but I worked all weekend and was stuff on a con call for over 6 hours on Saturday. I do NOT like the phone people. I feel like I haven’t blogged in a long time with guest bloggers and new releases.
Life has been crazy. We had T overnight on Friday. She arrived over tired, but she was so cute. It was bedtime and she’d been rubbing her little eyes for well over 40 mins. So I said, “Bedtime.” She walks to her old bedroom where I keep her pack and play, crying all the way. I followed her in to find her leaning against her bed whining. She knew there was no fighting it – she was exhausted. She slept for 3 straight hours and then woke demanding I sleep with her. I did NOT get a good night sleep. We slept on my other daughter’s twin bed and I woke with a cramp in my thigh the next morning.
By 10am all hell broke loose at work and I had to have T picked up. I felt bad, but work called.
In other news:
The last of my goody bag promo stuff is scheduled to arrive tomorrow so the bags should be done, done, done this week.
I’m down to the wire on the latest book. I’m writing the second to last scene so that should be finished by Friday too.
Today I’m going to read a book. There’s a novel idea! LOL
Happy Monday!

Goddess Fish Tour - Featuring Author Kele Moon

Please welcome fellow Ellora's Cave author Kele Moon today!!! :)

Tell us about your current release.
Beyond Eden is en erotic, Garden of Eden tale about three life long friends who find themselves tangled in a web of love, pain and dangerous secrets.
In exploring the Garden of Eden theme as a M/M/F ménage love story I realized what an angst-ridden tale it was and Beyond Eden reflects that. It's a deeply emotional story, but I'm proud of how it turned out. The symbolism and complex characters made it a joy to write!

Tell us about your next release.
I’m working on Claiming Eden, the prequel to Beyond Eden.

Has someone been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?
Lots of people have been instrumental. My husband has supported me for years as I worked on honing the craft. My mother has also been extremely encouraging, even when romance novels were eating my room as a teenager :D
As far as success stories. . . I’d have to say JK Rowling has inspired me immensely! I really, really admire her and what she’s accomplished with her writing.

Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?
I have been extremely lucky! I have many, many people who have helped me and walked the writing journey with me! Lori Toland, Tibby Armstrong, Laurann Dohner my agent Sartiza Hernandez just to name a few.

Who is your favorite author?
Oh, my Gosh. . . It’d probably have to be a toss up between JK Rowling and Pat Conroy. Which is strange, since neither of them are erotic romance writers. But, I do love them!

When was your first sale?
March of this year when I was 9 months pregnant. It was extremely emotional for me, because I felt so blessed to be having my daughter and to sell my first book at the same time. . . It was incredible!

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?
I write at night, though with a new baby it’s turned into whenever I can find time. I actually don’t have a time so much as a word count. When I am writing I try to do 3000 words a day. I have, however, taken a few weeks off for the release of Beyond Eden. I’m going to start again shortly and I’m looking forward to it. I’ve missed writing!

What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Starting them. Once I get into the characters and they become real to me, it becomes less of a chore and more of an indulgence.

Where do you research for your books?
I’m a big fan of going to the source. I’ll talk to people who know about the topics I’m writing about. I’ll ask them to read over the parts they are experts on to make sure I’ve gotten it right. Like most authors, I do use the internet. I also try to write what I know in one way or another. The cities I use in my writing are usually places I know well—LOL! Does that mean I cheated?

What does your family think of your writing career?
They are all really excited! It’s been sort of funny, because Beyond Eden is an erotic romance. it’s also a ménage story that has strong BDSM elements. So family members like my mother are a bit hesitant to read it (I think she’s worried it’ll break her brain knowing I wrote it) but she’s still very happy for me!!

Who are your books published with?
Beyond Eden is my first and it’s with Ellora’s Cave.

Do you hear from your readers?
I have gotten a shocking amount of feedback from Beyond Eden since it released last week. The main questions are for more books with the characters from Beyond Eden. Which is a good thing, and I’m happy to tell them I am writing the prequel. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive.

Plotter or Pantser?

Pantser. . . A total and complete pantser. Perhaps because I am such a character writer, once they’re real to me, I just let them tell their story and I really can’t plot that. My characters are always taking me places I never expected.

Tell us about your family.
My husband and I have four children total, my step-daughter is nineteen, then we have a fourteen year old son, a seven year old son and a daughter who is five months old. We’re really experiencing the whole spectrum of parenthood right now--from college student raiding our cabinets for food (she took our salt and pepper shakers last week) to newborn baby. It’s been lots of fun!

Do you use a pen name?

Kele has always been my nickname. There wasn’t tons of creativity used to come up with it. And I’m thankful I used it now, because it makes it a lot easier when signing posts and emails. I never have to worry about signing the wrong name. LOL! As for Moon, I just like it and it seemed easy for readers to remember, which was important to me.

Do you listen to music while writing?

I do listen to music, but it has to match what I am writing. So I listen to a huge spectrum, from classical to rap and everything in between just depending on the mood and theme of what I’m writing.

What was the scariest moment of your life?
Trust me, you don’t want me to answer that. It involves an ICU and two weeks of my life flashing before my eyes.

What book are you reading now?
I am reading Kaily Hart’s Picture This. Laurann Dohner’s Mate Set and The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A writer! Go me!

What are your favorite TV shows?
True Blood, Master Chef, American Idol—Honestly, I don’t watch tons of TV. The TV is dominated by others in the house. I’d rather read or write. I do love True Blood though! It’s awesome!

What songs are most played on your Ipod?
Currently, I’m writing Claiming Eden, the sequel to Beyond Eden. Its dark and sexual, Enigma’s been playing constantly!

What is your favorite meal?
Christmas dinner at my in laws. My mother -n-law is an amazing Cuban cook and so all the best is out for Christmas dinner, roasted mojo pork, black beans and rice, yucca, Cuban sandwiches, etc. . . I love it!

What do you do to unwind and relax?
Hot bubble bath with my ipod playing—which probably isn’t a great idea. But, I make sure it’s well away from the water, LOL!

Any suggestions for beginning writers?

Write. . . Just write lots and lots, second only to reading lots and lots.

Morning or Night Person?
100% night person!

Tell us about your favorite restaurant
Melting Pot, it’s a fondue restaurant. It takes you three hours to finish a meal, but it is fantastic!

What question do you wish was on the list? Your answer?
If you won a million dollars, what would be the first thing you’d do?
Go to Disney World!! That sounds like a joke, but it’s so true. I love Disney World. I’m a kid at heart.

Anything you'd like to say to your readers?
Just a huge thank you! I’ve been very lucky with wonderful feedback and an outpouring of enthusiasm for Beyond Eden. It really means more to me than people will probably ever know!

Kele Moon’s breakout novel Beyond Eden at Ellora's Cave:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8612-beyond-eden.aspx

Kele’s website with book trailers for Beyond Eden and more:
http://www.kelemoon.com

Here's a taste of what you'll find inside Beyond Eden.

Blurb:

Three lifelong friends find themselves tangled in a web of love, pain and dangerous secrets in this erotic Garden of Eden tale.Tall, dark and handsome Danny Carlow has always gotten whatever he wants except for the two he wants more than anything—his best friends, lovers Paul and Eve. Determined, he waits like a snake in the grass, poised for the right moment to offer them a temptation too delicious to resist.Artist Eve Everton makes the painful decision to leave behind her true love Paul for the Siren’s call of New York City. Ten years later with her life in shambles, she returns home. When Paul’s waiting arms aren’t available, Eve falls for Danny’s charm and finds herself a willing accomplice in the dangerous games Danny plays.Former college football star, Paul Mattling is now a successful attorney with a bright future ahead of him. But behind those brilliant blue eyes are secret desires for a taste of the forbidden. Will he play it safe or will he give into Danny and Eve and bite the apple?

Excerpt:

Paul reached out, handing Danny a gold-foiled packet he had obviously taken out of his pocket before he pushed his pants off. Danny took it and tapped his finger against it as his eyes fell lower. He eyed Paul’s cock that grew long and thick as he stared at it.
“So, you’re sacrificing yourself for Eve?” Danny asked, still standing at the open shower door, heedless of the water splashing out onto the bathroom tiles.
Paul avoided his eyes again and ran a hand through his thick hair rather than look at Danny. “I don’t want you to bother her.”
“Because I always make a habit of taking advantage of drunk women,” Danny said, his voice razor sharp and icy. “How long have you known me?”
Paul winced and closed his eyes as he took a shuddering breath of frustration. “Are you going to let me into the shower or not?”
“I want to know why you want in first,” Danny growled at him, his eyes narrowed reprovingly. “Give me an honest reason and I might let you in.”
Paul’s chest rose and fell as he took short pants of breath that betrayed him far more effectively than his hard cock. “S-Seeing Eve has me frustrated.”
“Then jerk yourself off,” Danny snapped, his eyes still narrowed menacingly. “What happened to breaking the addiction? According to you this isn’t healthy or normal, so what are you doing here?”
“You want me to admit I’ve fallen off the wagon?” Paul asked in a soft voice as he looked up at Danny, his blue eyes a storm of arousal. “You want me to beg?”
“Yes,” Danny said slowly, his eyes running over Paul once more. He licked his lips and then pushed his wet hair away from his face. He tilted his head and looked pointedly at Paul’s cock, now fully hard and standing at attention. “I want you to beg.”
Paul squeezed his eyes shut and Danny noticed the little things, like the fine sheen of goose bumps that spread over Paul’s body, making all the thin, blond hair on his arms stand on end. The tautness in his shoulders was obvious, the anticipation pounding off him palatable. It was those nuances that sent blinding lust spiraling through Danny so forcefully he barely kept his casual composure. He reached up, gripping the bar on the top of the shower to hide his reaction that had his body tensing in arousal, his muscles tightening in anticipation of pouncing.
“Please.” Paul swallowed hard and tilted his head back to stare at Danny unwaveringly. “It’s been three weeks. I’m getting better.”
“It is a record,” Danny admitted reluctantly, because he wanted no part in this ridiculous game Paul had been playing with their lives. “Do you want a gold star for it?”
“No, I want you to fuck me.”

Where Am I?

I can’t believe its Thursday already. Where the heck did the week go? Oh right I was promoting my two new releases. I’m tired and have a terrible migraine.
I started exercising again. After the tragic start to the New Year, I kinda let myself go and gained a few more pounds than I needed. When the temperatures dropped and I needed to put on a pair of jeans it depressed me. Only one pair still fit – barely. So Monday I climbed my butt back on to the treadmill and let me tell you something I thought I was dying the rest of the day. Same thing with yesterday.
Here’s the good and bad part. The good part is I’m sleeping a whole lot better. The bad part? I’m oversleeping and not getting writing done. I have a routine. If that routine gets screwed up so does my writing schedule. I’m anal only when it comes to my mornings. Any other part of the day is a free for all. LOL
I’m weird so sue me.
Today I’ll be over at Lena Matthew’s taking part in the Book a Day Giveaway. Feel free to drop in and keep me company and obviously I’ll be giving away a copy of any backlist book.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lenamatthews/
Happy Thursday!

Spend The Night With Me

Today is another release day for me! Book 2 in the Freedom Fantasies series is now available, at Ellora's Cave.

Hope you enjoy Brooke and Liam's story.

Memories of her deceased fiancé no longer so painful, Brooke is determined it’s time to move on. She goes to Freedom Fantasies in search of someone who will rock her world—for one night only.

She’s not prepared for young, sexy, funny Liam. He wants to explore the limits of pleasures Brooke didn’t know existed. Their sexual experiments and seductions leave each other breathless. But Brooke still isn’t certain she’s able to let one night turn into many.

Excerpt:

It’s time to put these away. I need to move on. It’s time for closure.
Brooke stared at the pictures scattered all over the floor. They’d haunted her for over eighteen months. Memories of what she had lost. Memories of what she should’ve had. The one and only love of her life. Carl.
He’d been gone for a long time. She would never forget that dreadful day when her future mother-in-law had called with the news. Carl had been killed by a suicide bomber. He was only days away from coming home. Instead he’d returned in a body bag.
It was time for her to get back to the living. She needed companionship. She wanted to feel a man’s strong arms around her again. The need to feel safe and secure grew with each passing day. And if she was honest with herself, she needed sex. Down-and-dirty sex.
She’d been lonely for so long. She wanted to remember how it felt to have a man ravish her body.
Kim, one of her best friends, had been offering to set her up in a room over at Freedom Fantasies forever. Freedom Fantasies wasn’t just any old place. It was a Manor where women went to live out their fantasies.
Paige, her other best friend, had recently rekindled her marriage there. Maybe it was time she had some fun—even if for only one night.
Looking around the apartment she’d once shared with Carl, she realized how much of him was still there. Pictures were everywhere. On the entertainment center, the end tables, even in the kitchen. There were constant reminders of their life together. It wasn’t healthy for her to continue to obsess over him. He was gone and he was never coming back. It was time she realized the truth.
Quickly, she got off the floor and started collecting all the photos. She placed them in a big pile on her bed. From the closet in the spare room she retrieved an old empty box she’d kept for future storage. This was the perfect time to pack away Carl’s photos. It was time to let go.
She stacked the photos one by one neatly into the box. Once they were all safe, she tucked the box away in the closet. She didn’t want to forget Carl, she just wanted to move on.
His closet had been emptied because his family wanted some of his belongings. She’d kept a few shirts, which she occasionally wore around the house. She liked having his scent lingering. His dog tags hung around her neck as a constant reminder of what they could have had—what was taken away by a suicide bomber.
She removed the tags and brought them to the closet where she packed them away with all his pictures.
As she passed the mirror, she stopped. When had she started to look so old? At thirty she wasn’t old. She looked tired and worn-out. She examined her reflection more closely. Her blue eyes were cold and empty. Her blonde hair appeared lifeless. Had she really been presenting herself to the world looking like this?
She rushed into the bathroom and turned on the shower. After giving her hair a thorough shampooing and conditioning she blew it dry. Using her large round brush, she added volume. She added makeup to her drab complexion.
Upon inspection she liked what she saw. She looked more her age again. She didn’t look old and beaten. It was time to put on some sexy clothes and hop over to the Manor. While she wasn’t going to have Kim set her up, she was going to mingle in the bar area. Maybe she’d find someone who intrigued her all by herself. There was nothing Brooke despised more than being hooked up.
While she was there she’d pop in on her friend and see how she was doing.

Release Day

Talk about a crazy day. I overslept and my day job is insane, but enough of that.





Today is release day for me. My first book with Loose Id. I'm very excited about this book and enjoying writing about a heroine who wasn't Barbie sized. Check out Adrift available now.

Here's a little taste. If you want more there's a longer excerpt up on the Loose Id website. :o)

“I expect everyone to be there.” Mr. Carlton stood up and continued talking to the small group in the conference room. “My wife looks forward to this every year, so I don’t want to disappoint her. There will be boats at the dock to take people back and forth to Carlton Island.”
Kari cringed just thinking about getting into a boat and being escorted over to her boss’s island. The last thing she wanted to do over her weekend was spend it with him and fellow coworkers. Kari enjoyed the peace and serenity of her apartment. She didn’t have to make small talk except with Pepper, her cat.
Last year she’d been able to get out of the company picnic, but something told her this time she wouldn’t be so lucky.
“This is bullshit.”
Kari swiveled her chair to see who else felt like she did, but was brave enough to voice his opinion. She was met with the most amazing blue eyes.
Ben.
Her heart caught in her throat. Was he speaking to me?
Ben Eckhart hadn’t uttered a word to her in the three years he’d worked at Carlton Technologies. Kari had admired him from afar, knowing he’d never be interested in someone like her. She wasn’t a size 2 pinup model like Ben probably dated.
“Does he think we don’t have a life outside of work?”
He was talking to her.
Hanging out on her deck with a book wasn’t in the cards for her this weekend.
“Have you ever been?” he asked.
“Once. I’ve managed to escape all the other yearly get-togethers, but I don’t see that happening this weekend.”
“I heard people have gotten let go for not attending.”
She’d heard that too, but thankfully it hadn’t happened to her. With the economy in dire straits, she wasn’t risking it this year. “That’s what they say. I can’t afford to take any chances. I’ll be going.”
“Me too, I guess.”
Kari groaned inwardly. She didn’t want to spend the weekend lusting over Ben. At work she could cover up her scars, but on Carlton Island she’d be expected to dress more casually.
Maybe she could think of a way out of this.
“Spouses and significant others are more than welcome too,” Mr. Carlton continued.
Kari turned her attention back to her boss. Right about now, she wished she had someone in her life she could bring along to ease the pain of watching Ben. Fortunately he wasn’t aware of her feelings for him.
He leaned closer to her chair and whispered in her ear. “You bringing someone?” Heat from his breath trickled down her neck, straight to her core. Images of Ben wearing only swim trunks filled her mind. She pictured a hard, smooth chest and abs of steel she could run her fingers along.
“No,” she snapped.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
She swiveled her chair slightly and glanced over her shoulder. His lips were close. Close enough that if she leaned just a little bit, she could graze them with her own. “I didn’t mean to snap. I’m just really frustrated about having to go this weekend. I’m going alone.”
“Hmmm. I guess I’ll see you there.”
“Guess so.”
Mr. Carlton ended the meeting. Kari gathered her notebook, pen, and coffee mug before heading back to her office. She wondered if Ben would be coming alone or if he would be bringing some lucky lady.
She prayed he came alone. He’d broken the ice by talking to her in the meeting. Maybe they could get to know each other better over the weekend.
As she sat in her chair, she realized she was fooling herself. Ben would never be interested in a size 12 disfigured woman. Even if he did show an interest, Kari couldn’t take her clothes off for him. Her scars were a reminder that she’d never have a love life again. It was bad enough that the memories of that horrible night still haunted her; visible scars stared back from the mirror. They screamed at her, taunting that she’d be lonely the rest of her life.

Adrift

Play With Me

Here is my newest cover for Play With Me, book 3 in the Freedom Fantasies series. This book comes out October 17th.

Remembering 9/11

I remember 9/11/2001 like it happened only yesterday. I was getting ready for my job at the phone company when my mother called. She was clearly upset and told me to turn on the television. I did and watched in horror as the second plane slammed into one of the towers.

I called out to Norm who was in my kitchen replacing my floor at the time.

"You have to see this, Norm!"

We watched it over and over again. I hung up with my mother and finished getting ready for work. I'm not sure if Norm went back to the kitchen, but I didn't care. I could understand being glued to the television.

At work we were faced with dead silence. Verizon was taken out in the attack, putting most of our business customers out of service. Our company closed that day.

As a friend and I drove around aimlessly I remember the eerie feeling of no planes in the sky. We worked near the Albany International airport. There was always planes in the sky. Not that day.

My cousin and a bunch of her friends had spent a wonderful week in the Dominican Republic. All their money was spent and now they couldn't fly house. Family and friends had to wire them money to keep them in a hotel until the no fly rules were lifted. A week later they arrived in Upstate NY safely.

My mother would call me a few days later and ask "Who is Norm?"

I explained he was the guy my landlord hired to replace my kitchen floor.

I was a single mom at the time and she wanted to know why her daughter had a strange man in her house so early in the morning. Looking back that was the only bit of humor from that day.

Today we still mourn all those who lost their lives and the troops who are fighting for our freedom.

Today, take a moment to remember. Cherish your family and friends, be thankful for our freedom and God Bless Our Troops.

This and That...

Yesterday while doing a Google search (yes I know don’t yell at me), I came across my newest book for sale. Ignite the Flames was being sold for $10.99. Never mind the fact that you can buy it on the EC website for $8.00. What pissed me off is someone’s selling my book and I haven’t even received my author’s copies yet. Can a writer at least get some satisfaction of holding her first ever print book in her hands before people start auctioning them off! LOL
Okay I’m off my soapbox for the day. It’s Friday and I’m so looking forward to the weekend. No work – woo hoo. I’m blocking out the fact that I have to work the next two weekends. The weather looks promising so I’m sure we’ll do something fun.
Next week I have two releases. I’m really excited, but more on that next week. Also on Monday I’ll be showcasing my newest cover for Play With Me, the third and final book in the Freedom Fantasies series.
Just waiting on the rest of my promo stuff to come in so I can finish the goody bags for Romanticon. I can’t believe how quickly it’s approaching. Before long I’ll be on a plane to OH to see all my fellow EC author friends and hopefully lots of fans! LOL
Off to do some writing….
Have a super duper weekend!

New Review - Dante's Desire

I have to give a big shout out to Tiger Lily over at Whipped Cream Reviews for her wonderful review of Dante's Desire.

Amber Skyze has created a story with characters I fell in love with immediately and a world I want to visit again and again. Dante is one yummy artist. Had I had guys like him around when I was in art school....let’s say I’d have loved for this to be me.

To read the entire review please visit this link:
http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/2010/09/dantes-desire-by-amber-skyze.html

New Cover Art

This is my first Anne Cain cover and I hope it's not the last. I think she did a fabulous job!

I'm In Print

And I'm all giddy! This cover is purty....



You get three books in one print book. Available at Ellora's Cave








Splashing Good Time
Reece Collins craves a no-strings-attached, torrid sexual encounter. Problem? The only person offering is ten years her junior.Nathan Donovan has lusted for Reece forever. One brief encounter leaves him yearning for more, but when she splashes cold water on his plans, he has to choose between walking away or spanking some sense into her.


Ignited
Nikaya is celebrating her birthday with a new Mustang. As she races up the side of a mountain in her new car, a police officer comes out of nowhere. He pulls her over, spanks her then whisks her away to a secluded cabin. There, the officer—and a friend—have a few surprises for the birthday girl.Surprises that include whips, floggers, blindfolds and more.


Research Required
On the run from the mob, the last thing Ethan needs is a distraction like Bailey. She’s sexy and sassy—and he wants to take her where she stands. Of course, Bailey would never have sex with a stranger. Then again, Ethan is her best friend’s brother, so that makes him a friend too, right? And what’s a little sex between friends?

Fran Lee's Newest Release

I received my cover art for Adrift. I absolutely love it. There’s only one small issue and I’m waiting to see how it’s handle. Hopefully I’ll be able to show it to you by Tuesday. Only 11 more days until my first release with Loose-Id. I’m very excited. I’ll also be celebrating the release of Book 2 of the Freedom Fantasies series: Spend The Night With Me, the very next day.
Yesterday I didn’t get any writing done, but I managed to capture my dream from the night before. It was a vivid dream of a spaceship coming looking for me. My husband was holding a tiny baby boy on his chest, but it wasn’t my real life husband. It was the guy I based my hero on, from Dante’s Desire. Who cares you ask? Well, I’m writing an alien based story, or will be starting one soon. This dream gave me a glimpse into my story. I’ve heard other writers say they dream their stories all the time and I thought they were crazy – until it happened to me! LOL Go figure right.
Anyway, I’m struggling to finish my second submission to Loose-Id. I’m at 10k and it needs another 15k. I must write this weekend.
In other news, Hurricane Earl was threatening us, but has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm. We are expected to get heavy rains and strong gusts of winds, but not the original weather they predicted. YAY. They also said we shouldn’t be concerned with flooding. Another HUGE YAY. Our state is still recovering from the historic floods in March. We can’t afford any more flooding right now.
I’m going to end today with the newest release from my lovely talented friend Fran Lee. I’ve been waiting for this book to become available and it has today. I say rush over to EC and grab your copy! Here’s a little taste of what you’ll get from Woman On Fire.

Blurb:

Azrael Thunder Horse never thought another Anglo woman could possibly knock him for a loop after leaving Hollywood. Despite the instant shot of lust he feels when he first lays eyes on his new Native American Studies teacher, he’s determined to get rid of her. After all…she misled him with that damn Indian name of hers! But the stubborn redhead has a thing or two to say when he tries to fire her.

Cheyenne Red Wolf has never met a more maddening, arrogant, downright irritating man. He hates her on sight. Too bad he’s the hottest thing she’s ever seen…and her new boss. The man tried to fire her because she wasn’t a “real” Indian. Good thing he can’t stand her, because she sure as hell wouldn’t be able to say no to all that sexy, hardheaded, Lakota masculinity.

An Excerpt From: WOMAN ON FIRE
Copyright © FRAN LEE, 2010
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

“Can I help you?” Her quickly pasted-on smile was polite and pleasant. Probably a parent, checking out the new teacher. Damn. They didn’t build single males like him these days.
Night-dark eyes slid past her, wandered around the classroom slowly, and then returned to her. Eyes that would normally have set her pulse off like a shot, but these held a cold, aloof quality that let her know she was beneath his interest.
“Is Ms. Red Wolf still here?” The dark-chocolate voice held a quiet, tense note.
“I’m Cheyenne Red Wolf.” She repeated the polite smile. “How can I help you?”
The look of shock in those obsidian eyes made her bite back a grin. It wasn’t an unusual reaction to her definitely un-Indian looks attached to a very Indian name. But the desire to grin dissolved the instant those eyes turned angry.
“You are Cheyenne Red Wolf? Our new Native American Studies teacher?” Every word was clipped and reflected a fury that was barely held at bay.
She moved away from the bookshelf and resisted the urge to cross her arms defensively over her chest. The animosity rolling off that man was enough to choke her. It was only through sheer willpower that she didn’t cut and run. He took a step toward her and she had to crane her neck to meet his glare. She drew herself up to her tallest possible height which wasn’t much over five foot six in shoes and lifted her chin slightly in answer to his unspoken but clearly heard challenge. Damn! She wished now that she’d worn heels.
Forcing her voice to remain softly calm wasn’t easy. “I am. And you are…?” she coached gently, refusing to retreat as he invaded her personal space with all that hulking, broad-shouldered menace he exuded.
His eyes moved from the copper-penny red hair she’d dragged back into a bun before her first class, all the way down her fuzzy blue cardigan sweater and travel-wrinkled beige linen slacks to her vintage fifties penny loafers, then back with a disbelieving insolence that was as insulting as it was scary. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to take a few steps back and get a desk between them, but she’d be damned if she’d let him intimidate her.
She had no real reason to fear him, after all—it was broad daylight and they were in a school full of—empty classrooms. Oh, shit. As the realization hit her that regular classes had let out over half an hour ago, and most of the teachers were gone for the day, she inhaled slowly and wondered if maybe it might be wiser if she turned tail and sprinted for the still open door.
But her common sense returned after one panicky moment, and she frowned at her own silliness. What the hell was he gonna do? Attack her? He was understandably shocked to find a non-Native American woman teaching a class that should by all rights be taught by a Native American. There were a lot of Native Americans who resented what she did, simply because she was not one of them. Not really. And being one in spirit didn’t quite cut the mustard.
She made a point of glancing at her watch and lifted her eyes back to his face. “I really can’t take time to go over lesson plans right now. If you’ll just tell me which student is yours, I can give you a call tomorrow—”
“There’s been a mistake, Ms. Red Wolf.” The voice was low and controlled.
“A mistake?” She had to work damn hard to keep a tremor of anger out of her own voice.
Those almost-too-damn-sexy-to-be-real lips twisted into a sneer as he seemed to loom even closer in the suddenly airless classroom. “A big one.”
Her breath caught in her throat and she hated the fact that she was shaking under his glare. “If you have a problem with me teaching this class, you’ll need to take it up with Mr. Wyatt or Ms. Running Deer of the school board. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have someone waiting.” A lie was better than letting him think she had no backup here.
“He can keep on waiting.” The clipped statement startled her, but only because it was coupled with another forward movement of that intimidating body that had somehow moved so close she could feel the heat sizzling off him through her clothes.
This guy had absolutely no friggin’ concept of personal space.
She suddenly decided that retreat was entirely acceptable under such unfriendly fire. She took a quick step backward and felt the bite of a wooden desk on the soft flesh of her fanny. The startled gasp she gave seemed to make those nearly black eyes darken even more, and she blushed hotly to have let him know he frightened her. Her temper rose.
When under attack, counter attack, Frank had always said.
“Excuse me—whoever you are—but if you have a complaint about me teaching your child, like I said, take it up with the school board and the principal, who felt I was very well qualified—”
She gave a yelp of shock as a book that had been too close to the edge of the desk she was nearly sitting on fell to the floor with a resounding smack, and she jumped away from the desk automatically, coming into full frontal contact with her tormentor. And he didn’t miss a beat as he caught her around the waist with a pair of lean, strong hands and glared down at her.
His beautiful lip curled. “Just like a woman—trying to use any weapon at hand to avoid the consequences of her actions.” His voice was scathing and she blinked up at him, not getting his meaning.
“Weapon? Consequences? What the hell are you talking about?” she gasped and shoved at his hands without much success as she twisted to try to get free.
“Those weapons.” He hissed a breath inward through his teeth as her hips twisted against his. Her movements brought her generous chest tight against his. His rasping words instantly halted her movements as she realized what he was talking about and her eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in fury. Damn, but the man was blaming her for his own actions now.
“If you will take your hands off me, I will happily remove my weapons from your vicinity,” she hissed, her temper flaring at his insinuation that she was trying to use sex to escape whatever “consequences” he imagined were due her. It didn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to get his meaning and it didn’t take much imagination to realize their confrontation had produced a hard-on from hell on his part. It was jabbing against her belly quite insistently. It had already grown even larger and more dangerous in the several seconds they’d been plastered together.
For a moment, he didn’t respond, and in that tense moment she sensed that he was considering his next response with extreme care. Her incensed glare met his and she waited with lips compressed and indignant fury in her expression. Dark eyes warred with blue. It became a battle of wills as he remained tautly silent, staring down into her furious face without any change in his expression of angry disdain. His hands remained firmly clamped around her body, making it impossible to move away without a struggle, and she’d be damned if she was going to give him his jollies by wiggling and twisting against him to try to get loose again. His hands were long and powerful. The pads of his fingertips rested firmly on the upper swell of her buttocks. The sensations running rampant inside her traitorous pussy were indescribable.
After what felt like hours of silent, glaring antagonism so thick it could easily be cut with a knife, she irritably decided the only way she was going to get him to let go of her was to say something. She slowly drew a shaky breath and spoke in a low, careful tone like one might use when talking to a suicide jumper on a ledge. “How about you and me calling a truce? You take your hands off me, and we’ll both back away. Then maybe you can calmly tell me what the hell you are so damn bent out of shape over.”

A Whole Lot of Nothing

The last few days I’ve had no time on my hands. Today I have too much. I can hear everyone – THEN WRITE. I wish I could. I’m still fighting my muse. Pesky, stubborn, PIA won’t cooperate.
My youngest started 8th grade today. YAY. The house is quiet, except the three panting dogs. I mailed off a bunch of promo stuff to people today. Waiting for the winner of my newsletter to contact me with her mailing address so I can mail out her Dante’s Desire tote bag full of goodies.
My Romanticon stuff is coming along nicely. I have one promo item to order and I’ll be all set.
That’s all I got right now. Hard to talk about writing when I’m not doing any. I have nothing out there to be accepted. This sucks! LOL
Okay, I’m going to open my WIP and put 100 words in it. I don’t care if they make sense. Maybe it will get the juices flowing.

Happy Thursday!