Sara Reyes | Winter Musings

It has been nearly a decade since I had a snow day...one of those days made for curling up under a blanket with a good book, watching the big fluffy snow pelting down. In Texas it never happens But this month we were blessed with a foot of snow. WOW plus two days to "enjoy" it, and a week to recover from the repercussions of the snowfall...you know, collapsed roofs, broken trees, fallen tree limbs etc.

But I enjoyed my day off with escape to foreign climes... went to India! Yes, it seems to be a new trend in the romances, adventure in the subcontinent during the late 1700s early 1800s. Two of my favorite authors brought out books with part of the story set in India. Lauren Willig's latest Carnation is BETRAYAL OF THE BLOOD LILY and Stephanie Laurens new quartet, the Black Cobra.

Lauren Willig has taken us all over England and parts of France with her amazing series of spies during the Napoleonic era, but now she's taking us off to India with a bride who's perhaps made a not-so-wise choice in trying to escape her life.

Captain Alex Reid has better things to do than play nursemaid to a pair of aristocrats. Or so he thinks-until Lady Frederick Staines out-shoots, out-rides, and out-swims every man in the camp. She also has an uncanny ability to draw out the deadly plans of the Marigold and put herself in harm's way. With danger looming from local warlords, treacherous court officials, and French spies, Alex realizes that an alliance with Lady Staines just might be the only thing standing in the way of a plot designed to rock the very foundations of the British Empire...

Stephanie Laurens' newest series, Black Cobra Quartet, is about a group of soldiers. "They're battle-hardened, sinfully wealthy, completely unstoppable — and all male: Four officers of the Crown, fighting against a deadly foe known only as the Black Cobra. " And they're on a deadly race from India to England to reveal the enemy. Along the way, each officer finds his soul mate in a "bride." So far the first two books have been vintage Laurens with enough glimpses of other inhabitants of Laurens' England to keep me on my toes.


THE ELUSIVE BRIDE, Gareth Hamilton and Emily's story. He's a loner with no family, she's got sisters, brothers, cousins, parents and more to spare. They're on a race across India to Egypt, across France to the channel and then on through England. It's better than an "Amazing Race" story with glimpses of different cultures.


THE UNTAMED BRIDE, Del Delborough and Delilah's story. He is a man who has faced peril without flinching, determined to fight for king and country. She is a bold, beautiful woman with a scandalous past, destined to become an untamed bride. Together they must vanquish the ruthless enemy, while confronting the dangers of the heart...

Another interesting item this week was Margot Adler's Vampire Book List. She read 75, yes seventy-five vampire books and watched a couple of films and television shows featuring vampires. I added the list to the site with a few of my notes and discovered although I thought I was well-read, I've actually missed a few. I think I have ten or so to discover. So, if you're a vampire aficionado, what do you think of her list? What did she miss? Do you agree or not?

But to finish off today's posting I need to ask. So where do you go when you need to get away? Or what is interesting to you when your world is cold, frozen and not-so-interesting? Tell us and you'll be entered to win something from the Fresh Fiction grab bag! We've been going to book signings and have a some books to give away! Comment to win...

Until next time...
Get out there and READ a book...
Sara Reyes
DFW Tea Readers Group
Join us at Readers 'n 'ritas November 12-14, 2010! with Sherrilyn Kenyon and more guests
See you on the Twitter (@FreshFiction)

Comment to win...

Fresh Pick | ALL JACKED UP by Lorelei James

Rough Riders, #8

November 2009
On Sale: November 3, 2009
Featuring: Keely McKay; Jack Donohue
ISBN: 1605046841
EAN: 9781605046846
e-Book
$5.50

Romance Erotica Sensual
Buy at Amazon.com

All Jacked Up
by Lorelei James

Pulling off the ultimate con…if they can keep from pulling off their clothes.

Keely McKay knows Jack—and Jack Donohue is a certified pain in her Wranglers. The lone girl in the prolific McKay family, Keely needs another man giving her orders like she needs a hole in her boot. What she does need is a restoration specialist so she can open her physical therapy clinic—and prove she’s left her wild-child days behind. That means dealing with buttoned-down, uptight Jack.

Jack is this close to securing a career make-or-break project, until he learns his lack of marital status puts him out of contention. When the notoriously hot-tempered and hot-bodied Keely begs him for help, he proposes a crazy idea. He’ll oversee her project—if she acts the part of his loving fiancée.

Their sizzling lust makes it all too easy to go from butting heads to knocking boots—but outside the bedroom they’re as mismatched as ever. The McKays remind Jack of the humble upbringing he left behind, and cowgirl Keely feels she doesn’t measure up to Jack’s big-city lifestyle.

When the dust settles, Jack and Keely must face the fact they’re not fooling anyone but themselves—or they’ll risk losing the real deal.

Warning: this book contains one hot-blooded cowgirl and one cool-headed businessman in a stripped-down, revved-up game of sexual truth or dare.

Excerpt

Keely McKay’s lucky cowgirl boots kicked up clouds of dust as she paced across the wooden plank floor.

A mouse skittered in front of her and she jumped like a scalded cat.

So much for maintaining nerves of steel.

Well, at least she hadn’t shrieked like a scream queen from some cheesy slasher flick.

In the last twenty-three minutes and forty-two seconds she’d chewed her bottom lip to the point she tasted blood beneath the cherry-flavored lip gloss. Not only that, her fingers hurt from continually cracking her knuckles. Frogs jumped in her stomach and were stuck in her throat. She’d clenched her jaw hard enough to make her earlobes sting. Given her erratic physical reactions, one would believe she was facing the hangman’s noose. An executioner’s blade. Or a blind date. Read More...

Previous Picks

Fresh Pick | THE BLONDE SAMURAI by Jina Bacarr

February 2010
On Sale: February 1, 2010
Featuring: Katie O'Roarke; Shintaro
352 pages
ISBN: 0373605404
EAN: 9780373605408
Trade Size
$13.95

Romance Historical, Romance Erotica Sensual
Buy at Amazon.com

The Blonde Samurai
by Jina Bacarr

Spring 1873:

I arrived in Japan a virgin bride, heartsick and anxious beyond measure. Yet I embraced this perplexing world with my soul laid bare after uncovering an erotic, intoxicating power I hardly knew that I, Katie O'Roarke, possessed.

Japan was a world away from my tedious Western existence, a welcome distraction from my recent marriage to a cold and cruel husband. But when James attacked me in a drunken rage, I could tolerate it no longer…. I had no choice but to escape into the surrounding hills. I awoke in the arms of Akira, a young Samurai, and it was he who took me to Shintaro, the head of the powerful Samurai clan.

At first distrustful, Shintaro came to me every day for a fortnight until my need for him made my heart race at the very sound of his feet upon the wooden floor. He taught me the way of the Samurai—loyalty, honor, self-respect—and the erotic possibilities of inner beauty unleashed. It is his touch that shatters my virginal reserve, evoking danger and physical pleasures that linger beyond our fervent encounters. But James means to find me, to make me pay for his humiliation. I can no longer hide amongst the orange blossoms as rebellions rage, and as my own secret continues to grow….

Excerpt

Mayfair, London 26 August, 1872

My extraordinary journey to embrace the way of the warrior began in a posh town house in Mayfair.

On my wedding night.

It was a London society affair replete with the trappings of engraved wedding invitations, cascades of floral abundance adorning the church pews and lavish gifts whose glitter dared not be anything but gold. And me with a diamond tiara atop my head ornamented with so many pear-shaped stones I creaked my neck trying to sit like a swan, though I was more the Yankee ugly duckling. Did I mention we had a bishop among the clergy presiding?

I can hear you groaning at my description, ready to toss the book aside before we land upon the silken earth of the Orient, fearing you have chanced upon the prim meanderings of a young Read More... Previous Picks

Vicki Lewis Thompson | The Truth About Cats and Dogs

I’m absolutely thrilled to be here today! Picture me as a cocker spaniel dancing around in total excitement, tail wagging, ears flopping, big smile on my face.. But don’t picture me piddling on the floor, which sometimes happens with excited cocker spaniels.

I was lucky to grow up with both dogs and cats, so if you’d asked me as a kid whether I was a dog person or a cat person, I would have said both. But now I’ve changed my mind. I still love the doggies, love their eternal optimism and undying affection and loyalty. But these days I’m drawn to cats.

I heard someone describe them as living sculpture, and so they are. My all-black cat Eve seems to know exactly how to drape herself over the furniture or curl up on the bed so that she’s part of the décor.

Eve’s her own person . . . um . . . her own cat. She greets me at the door when I come home . . . most of the time, if she’s not napping or otherwise engaged. She’ll sit in my lap if she feels like it, but sometimes she’d rather not. And that’s okay with me. We respect each other’s space. I think that makes me a cat person.

Don’t get me wrong. I still love dogs, and one in particular. Serra is my daughter Audrey’s Rottweiler mix, and Serra visits me regularly. I have a bed for her and treats in the cupboard. But whenever I’ve considered whether to adopt a dog of my own, I’ve always decided not to, because I really am a cat person at heart.

That’s one reason I had such a ball writing BLONDE WITH A WAND (out now), in which my heroine Anica is definitely a cat person. The fun begins when she turns the misbehaving hero Jasper into a black tomcat. What a blast to write from the viewpoint of Jasper as a cat!

Anica’s sister Lily, however, is a dog person. So in CHICK WITH A CHARM (out March 2) Lily uses her magic to transfer her Golden Retriever’s devotion to Griffin, the guy she’s crushing on. My role model for that dog was the lovable Serra, which is why I dedicated the book to her.

So, would you say you’re a dog person, a cat person, both, or neither? Are you sharing your life with any furry friends now? I’d love to hear your pet stories, and at the end of the day, one lucky commenter will win an autographed set of both books!

To comment for a chance to win a set of autographed books please click here.

Laura Bradford | When a Bludgeoning (or a strangling…or a poisoning…or a…) Just Won’t Do

It started just like any other story I’ve ever written. I was in the car, driving my kids to school, when a ten-second newsbyte on the radio caught my attention.

A decades-old letter was found behind a desk in a Pennsylvania post office--a letter that went undelivered for forty plus years. I imagine the radio guy said something else, that he filled in a few more facts...but if he did, I didn’t hear him.

Because I was stuck on the letter...

What if the letter had carried news of an inheritance or condolences over a lost family member? What if it had been a cry for help?

Before we reached the school parking lot, I knew I had the makings of a new book. As a writer, you just know these things.

Over the course of the next few months, the story percolated in my mind. What should the letter say? Who sent it? Who was the intended recipient? What happened as a result of it not arriving at its intended destination?

I considered characters--good guys and bad guys. I considered potential motives. I even gave thought to murder weapons.

But no matter how hard I thought about the letter or how many cool ideas I came up with, I had one problem I couldn’t ignore.

No one wanted to die.

No one.

As a mystery writer, that’s a problem. A very big problem.

Even worse, that little writer voice that calls the shots in my life demanded I write it as a romance.

A romance!

Now don’t get me wrong, I respect romance writers. They’re a talented group of people who can twist the basic "boy meets girl" plotline in amazing ways.

But I wasn’t a romance writer.

And, truth be told, I wasn’t really a romance reader, either.

Yet the voice continued, gnawing at my ever thought for months. Write a romance, it would say.

Uh...no, I would say.

Write a romance, it would say.

Uh...hello? Didn’t you hear me the first time, I’d say.

Fortunately for me, I got tired of fighting.

I sat in front of the keyboard and wrote a romance that surrounds a decades-old letter--a letter that had been lost behind a desk in a post office. And as I wrote, I became hooked...

On the writing...

And the story...

And the genre...

Just last month, Kayla’s Daddy debuted with Harlequin American Romance. It earned a 4 ½ star "Top Pick" from RT Magazine and was selected to kick off the line’s "Babies and Bachelors" year long series.

My book.

My romance.

And it’s all because the voice knew...

And I finally listened.

To comment on When a Bludgeoning (or a strangling…or a poisoning…or a…) Just Won’t Do please click here.

Fresh Pick | GUILTY PLEASURE by Lora Leigh

Bound Hearts #11

January 2010
On Sale: January 5, 2010
Featuring: Kahlid Mustafa; Marty Mathews
320 pages
ISBN: 0312541864
EAN: 9780312541866
Trade Size
$14.99

Romance Erotica Sensual
Buy at Amazon.com

Guilty Pleasure
by Lora Leigh

The sizzling new erotic tale from New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh

Marty Mathews had always known about the secret, forbidden pleasures that the women she had grown up with enjoyed. Women whose husbands or lovers were members of the exclusive “Club,” where they took a selected “third” into their beds. And there is one man — a dangerous, forbidden man — who is part of this world and who has haunted Marty’s dreams for years. But she had been the FBI agent assigned to shadow him, making him completely off limits. . .

That is until Khalid is cleared and Marty is released from her assignment. Now, all bets are off. . .

The beautiful, fierce Marty Mathews is the one woman Khalid hungers for like no other and is the one woman he dare not let himself have. His past dogs his every step and danger lurks around every corner. If he wants to keep her safe, he must stay away from her. But the power of their desire is something they cannot deny — and once Marty is his, Khalid will do whatever it takes to keep her in his bed and in his arms.

This amazing story brings danger, sizzling heat and powerful emotions to every page.


Previous Picks

Fresh Takes from Teen Shelves: More Than Hearts and Flowers...

As I write this, it is really cold outside. Perfect weather for some escapist fun.

Let’s start with a little art heist adventure. In a teen book, you say? Considering that Ally Carter’s popular Gallagher Girls series concerns a girl’s boarding school that fronts for a spy training academy, I’d say she has a handle on escapist teen adventure.

HEIST SOCIETY concerns 15 year old Kat, the daughter of master art thieves. She’d love to leave con-artist life for a normal one. But the larcenous world pulls her back in when a powerful mobster is robbed in a heist that could only have been pulled off by Kat’s dad. The only solution for saving her father? Track down the paintings and steal them back. She’s got two weeks, a teenage crew of co-conspirators, and just enough talent (she hopes) to pull of the biggest heist in her family’s history.

Asked to compare this new book to her popular GG series, Carter says they’re both packed with “teenagers doing exciting, fast-paced, and probably dangerous things.” Where the GG books are set in a female dominated world, Kat has to deal with a lot of boys, which is something that the author admits she pulls from her own life growing up. (One hopes, however, the larceny is fictional.)

I think that “exciting and fast-paced” is the key to the appeal of Ally Carter’s books. The fill that niche of slightly-fantastic books were young people can have exploits that the only can in fiction. Bring your sense of fun and adventure to enter “Heist Society” when it comes out early February.

Other books on my escapist radar--romances and romance themed books. There are a bunch, it being Valentine’s month and all, but here are some that caught my eye.

The title of Dandi Daley Mackall’s book, MY BOYFRIEND’S DOGS, grabbed me right away, and so did the premise: On a stormy night in St. Louis, Bailey Daley walks into an after-hours diner with three dogs in tow, wearing a soaking-wet prom dress. Obviously there’s a story here. Three intertwining stories, actually, since each dog comes from an ex-boyfriend. Bailey’s trial and error experiences are touching and relatable, but the tone is overall fun and clean. Mackall has written a ton of books, mostly for younger readers, so I was pleased that the voice of this novel is well suited for a high school student, and a pleasure to read even as an adult.

A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL, by Kristin Walker, on the other hand, has a lackluster title, but a premise I simply cannot resist. An odd couple--prickly and opinionated Fiona and male cheerleader Todd--are forced to “wed” as part of a class on marriage. It’s mixed-up, switch-partners, opposites-attract all over the place. But on top of the laugh-out-loud moments (School Library Journal says so!), the high jinx also touch on real issues, like juggling priorities and relationships, overcoming stereotypes and, oh yeah, the intricacies of love. In other words, not as fluffy as it sounds. I think this is going to be a don’t-miss debut. (And I love the author’s website.)

And, okay, there were some serious books coming out this month, too.

NUMBERS, by Rachel Ward, is a doozy of a premise. Jem looks at people and sees numbers--specifically, the date of their death, starting with her mother: 10102001. She sees a number in the eyes of everyone she meets, and when they predict the death--that very day--of everyone in line for the London Eye, she panics and flees, then has to go on the run when she and her friend Spider are suspected of being involved in the terrorist attack on the landmark attraction. “Gritty, bold, and utterly unique,” says School Library Journal in their starred review. Teens should find this riveting, with a very interesting main character and shocker of an ending. (It’s due for a sequel, too.)

IN A HEARTBEAT, by Loretta Ellsworth, is another book that I might not have picked up without an interesting twist in its premise. Sixteen-year-old Eagan dies with a lot of unfinished business; from beyond death, she reflects on those things, through her still beating heart, which has been transplanted into fourteen-year-old Amelia, who’s need to find out about her donor leads her to explore Eagan’s life, meeting her loved ones, and bringing them closure. It’s told in alternating viewpoints, and sounds like a thoughtful and heartwarming (ha ha) tale from this award-winning author.

So, there you go. Books to get your blood going in the cold weather. Keep warm, and happy reading!

Until next time...Rosemary Clement-Moore

Rosemary Clement-Moore writes Young Adult books because she loves to read them. Visit her webpage or blog to find out more about her award winning Maggie Quinn: Girl vs. Evil series, and her gothic romance, THE SPLENDOR FALLS.

Nikki Logan | The Nature Of Writing

Thanks for having me over to FreshFiction, Faye. They don't come much fresher than a debut author, I guess! My first book 'Lights, Camera...Kiss the
Boss' hit shelves in North America and UK last week and I'm still in that warm, happy-glow phase :) I've already had a few reader queries about my 'nature-based' focus so I thought I'd chat a bit about that with you today.

Working on the principle that you should write-what-you-know I decided to focus my love-stories in and around natural places or species that I'm familiar with. I work in a conservation organisation with people who crawl through rainforests tracking orangutans or who fit tiny little radio-transmitters to marsupials in the outback or rescue dangerous wild dogs in even more dangerous parts of Africa. I was hungry to make a contribution too, but that kind of super-human example has a way of making a girl feel a little inadequate!

When I decided to start writing I knew it would be romance and I knew it would be around nature. I love love-stories and I love wildlife. And I looked around and found no-one was particularly specialising in nature-based romance. What better way to share my passion for all things wild than with the largest reading group on the planet - romance readers. And so my 'Romance with Nature' tagline was born. I've been amazed at how many people love to read about wild places and creatures. And the settings have a way of really ramping up the intensity and emotion in the stories--something about the inherent dangers of wild places really adds extra zing to a lovestory.

While I've been waiting for my debut to come out, I've written romances set in forests, on remote islands, in the red outback, and on the wild south coast of Australia. My characters run wildlife sanctuaries, eco-resorts and charter boats; they study marine turtles, search for shipwrecks on reefs and breed wild brumbies; their stories are about addiction, infertility, betrayal and loss but they unfold against some of the most stunning wild habitats in Australia.

'Lights, Camera...' is my most urban book to date. It is set in inner-city Sydney and, back when I was planning it, I was chewing my lip wondering how to effectively bring nature and urban together--it was either rooftop gardens (urban greening) or a cluster of raptors living at the top of some highrise under threat. I went with the rooftop gardens simply because I know more about urban greening than predator birds!

But, the raptors are still on my 'to write' list along with seals, penguins and bees. And that's just this week. Who knows what kind of crazy things I'll think of next week. I have a rapidly-filling ideas box!

I hope you all enjoy reading the comfortable mix of urban-and-nature in 'Lights, Camera...Kiss the Boss' as much as I did writing it. Romantic Times gave it 4.5stars which was so exciting. And if I've done my job well you might even find yourself hankering to get out into your own garden...

Happy reading to you all!
*Nikki*

www.nikkilogan.com.au - A Romance with Nature

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Blog: http://lovecatsdownunder.blogspot.com

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Fresh Pick | SEX DRIVE by Susan Lyons

Wild Ride to Love #1
December 2009
On Sale: December 1, 2009
Featuring: Theresa Fallon; Damien Black
320 pages
ISBN: 0758238258
EAN: 9780758238252
Paperback
$12.95

Romance Erotica Sensual
Buy at Amazon.com

Sex Drive
by Susan Lyons

Over the limit...

When Dr. Theresa Fallon meets a long, lean stranger in business class, she's suddenly ready for anything. There's something about Damien Black that makes her want to surrender immediately...

Which is why she accepts Damien's spontaneous offer of a sizzling getaway. All in the name of research, of course. And once the pretty professor slips between the sheets with this hard-bodied man of mystery, she discovers the meaning of the term erotic pleasure...

This hot story has enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough heat to set the pages on fire.

Excerpt

[Theresa and Damien, strangers, were seated side by side in business class. He’s been flirting and she’s found herself responding. Now dinner is over…]

When the flight attendant had gone, Damien watched Theresa add milk to her coffee and stir. Her bare arm moved in circles, graceful and feminine. A smart, strong woman, yet vulnerable and wary. She must have had other lovers since her divorce, but her ex had done such a number on her, she still mistrusted men. How could a guy be cruel to Theresa? “About your husband,” he said abruptly.

The spoon clicked the side of the cup as her hand jerked. “What? Oh, enough said. It’s in the past.”

“Yeah, but all the same, I’d like to meet up with the bugger in a dark alley. I’d punch his lights out.”

Read More...

Previous Picks

DAKOTA CASSIDY | Living Accidenally Ever After

Hey, all! Thanks so much to Fresh Fiction for inviting me to chat a bit about my series!

My series, four books deep and going on five, is based on women who are accidentally bitten and or turned by a shapeshifter. Werewolves, vampires, demons, woo-hoo!

It’s a real paranormal-palooza with yes, I admit, some pretty cagey humor in the mix.

My most recent release, titled Accidentally Demonic, centers on Casey Schwartz-the sister of the heroine in my last book, and she’s in deep paranormal doo-doo.

Once mild-mannered, quiet and rather easygoing, Casey’s now hot-tempered, cranky and well, "whispers" hormonal as a result of some demon blood accidentally spilled on her via a hunky vampire named Clayton Gunnersson one night in a bar.

Casey’s world and job as a personal assistant to twins of the Paris Hilton variety is turned upside down when she lands in jail for threatening to sacrifice a police officer’s ahem, internal organs.

And things only get worse from there, though Casey has help from her now paranormal sister and her sister’s two paranormal friends, Nina the vampire and Marty the werewolf. They get what she’s going through, they’ve been there-they know how to help.

Unfortunately, they don’t know how to keep Casey from falling wildly in love with the vampire who accidentally turned her-or how to protect Casey from wanting a man she can never have.

Because, you know, he’s already sorta mated and this mate isn’t hip to the idea of giving her man up-ever.

Thus, another accidental tale begins, a tale with a humorous, slang-filled, in your face slant to it.

In all the one-liners and skimming some serious boundaries jokes, my hope is the adventures I’ve created portray the bond of friendship between women, as wacky and convoluted as the circumstances surrounding them may be. Er, or as wacky and convoluted as the women themselves can be. And yes, in the midst of all the mayhem, there’s a romance, hot and fun, forbidden (eek!), and filled with the revelations and hurdles only two people falling in love can experience.

I so hope you’ll join Marty, Nina, Wanda and now Casey in yet another accidental story of friendship, love, and happily ever after!

~Dakota Cassidy ?

Find Dakota at the following links.
Twitter:
Website
Facebook:



To comment on Living Accidentally Ever After please click here.

Fresh Pick | THE SATIN SASH by Red Garnier

December 2009
On Sale: December 1, 2009
Featuring: Antonia Kearny; Heath Solis; Grey Richards
320 pages
ISBN: 0451228030
EAN: 9780451228031
Trade Size
$15.00

Romance Erotica Sensual
Buy at Amazon.com

The Satin Sash
by Red Garnier

Between three lovers, there are ties that bind.

Business partners and best friends Grey Richards and Heath Solis are as different as night and day. Grey is calm, confident, and always in control. Heath is as passionate as his smoldering looks. No woman can resist them, and it's always been easy to share. Until now...

Grey is head over heels in love. He'll do anything to see Antonia Kearny smile, to hear her breath catch, to make her scream his name. And when he realizes that Toni wants another man-and that it's Heath- he'll make the ultimate sacrifice...

On a decadent weekend in Mexico, Toni will experience the hunger, the touch, the taste of two men. But will her desire bring them together, or tear them apart?

Excerpt

“Your woman wants me.”

Grey Richards froze, then lowered the glass of wine and turned to look at the man facing him. Heath’s jet-black eyes gleamed with a disconcerting mix of devilment and concern.

Grey glanced over the crowded room to where Toni stood, smiling among a group of women. His gut clenched in a knot. “Come again?”

“Your woman. She wants me.”

For a stunned moment, Grey gazed into the crimson depths of his glass, his sixth of red cabernet, and decided if he wasn’t drunk, then his friend and partner was.

DISCLAIMER:
My books are, unapologetically, red-hot and explicit, and so choosing an excerpt that is appropriate for general online reading can be a challenge Read More...

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leave comments

Spotlight on Dakota Cassidy

Hey, all! Thanks so much to Fresh Fiction for inviting me to chat a bit about my series!

My series, four books deep and going on five, is based on women who are accidentally bitten and or turned by a shapeshifter. Werewolves, vampires, demons, woo-hoo!

It’s a real paranormal-palooza with yes, I admit, some pretty cagey humor in the mix.

My most recent release, titled ACCIDENTALLY DEMONIC, centers on Casey Schwartz—the sister of the heroine in my last book, and she’s in deep paranormal doo-doo.

Once mild-mannered, quiet and rather easygoing, Casey’s now hot-tempered, cranky and well, *whispers* hormonal as a result of some demon blood accidentally spilled on her via a hunky vampire named Clayton Gunnersson one night in a bar.

Casey’s world and job as a personal assistant to twins of the Paris Hilton variety is turned upside down when she lands in jail for threatening to sacrifice a police officer’s ahem, internal organs.

And things only get worse from there, though Casey has help from her now paranormal sister and her sister’s two paranormal friends, Nina the vampire and Marty the werewolf. They get what she’s going through, they’ve been there—they know how to help.

Unfortunately, they don’t know how to keep Casey from falling wildly in love with the vampire who accidentally turned her—or how to protect Casey from wanting a man she can never have.

Because, you know, he’s already sorta mated and this mate isn’t hip to the idea of giving her man up—ever.

Thus, another accidental tale begins, a tale of with a humorous, slang-filled, in your face slant to it.

In all the one-liners and skimming some serious boundaries jokes, my hope is the adventures I’ve created portray the bond of friendship between women, as wacky and convoluted as the circumstances surrounding them may be. Er, or as wacky and convoluted as the women themselves can be. And yes, in the midst of all the mayhem, there’s a romance, hot and fun, forbidden (eek!), and filled with the revelations and hurdles only two people falling in love can experience.

I so hope you’ll join Marty, Nina, Wanda and now Casey in yet another accidental story of friendship, love, and happily ever after!

~Dakota Cassidy :-)

Twitter: http://twitter.com/DakotaCassidy

Website: www.dakotacassidy.com

Facebook: Facebook

ELISA LORELLO | No We Don't Have ESP...What It's Like To Be A TWIN

I was born just three minutes after my twin brother in January 1970. (Yes, I just turned 40. That’s another post altogether.) I came as a surprise to just about everyone except my mother, a buy-one-get-one-free deal, if you will. My four older brothers were thrilled to have another boy. My only sister was even more thrilled to finally have a girl.

You’d be surprised how many people ask us if we’re identical, to which I reply, “If we are, then one of us has a big problem…” He loves to introduce me to his co-workers by slouching next to me to meet my height and saying, “See the resemblance?” with a mock straight face and sincere tone.

My twin brother and I are different in every way. He’s tall; I’m short. He’s got straight hair; I’ve got curly hair (naturally curly, that is). He’s right-handed; I’m left-handed. He’s got brown eyes; mine are blue. He can listen learn to play a piece of music just by listening to it, while I can draw by copying
from photographs. He’s very shy; I’m rather outgoing. We’re both writers, but he writes literary science fiction with a prosaic style that is quite elegant. I write commercial fiction and romantic comedies. And yet, he’s one of only a small handful of people I am truly trying to impress with my writing. When he likes something I’ve written, it’s a good day and high praise. When he laughs at my jokes, especially in writing, then I am over the moon.

I’m a better writer thanks to my wombmate. He taught me how to be funny. He taught me to always start a story as close to the middle as possible (Vonnegut’s advice, really, but passed on to me), and always to put my characters someplace they don’t want to be. When I showed him pages from Ordinary World in its very early stages, it was he who said in feedback, “A major loss conjures up all other losses.” I then put those words into the mouth of my character Melody Greene, therapist, and that idea brought the story to new levels of depth and complexity.

He catches all my split infinitives, too. Annoying, but helpful.

I have an indefinitely unfinished manuscript in which the protagonist has a twin brother. I hope I can somehow get those two characters into a published book someday because I really love them. Not because they’re us, but because I relate to them so well.

Perhaps the most common question I get is whether we share ESP, or a “twin connection”. Alas, we don’t. We don’t communicate telepathically (although we do text each other quite a bit), I don’t know if he’s in pain or having a bad day, and he can’t understand what I see in Gilmore Girls. The closest we came was that for a period of time we were both having the same recurring dream about our childhood house shortly after it was sold. (Yeah, it sounds cool, but if we were having it at the same time, then I’d really be impressed)

We are connected though. We’re connected in that I can’t possibly relate to any of my other siblings the way I relate to him (and I’m close to all of them in different ways, especially my sister). We’re connected in that I’ll never conceptualize what life as a non-twin is like. It’s like trying to picture yourself born in another country, speaking another language, or as a different gender.

More importantly, I don’t want to know. Ever.

To comment for a chance to win on No We Don't Have ESP...What It's Like To Be A Twin please click here.

Fresh Pick | PLAY WITH ME by Leslie Kelly

Forbidden Fantasies

February 2010
On Sale: February 1, 2010
Featuring: Amanda Bauer; Reese Campbell
224 pages
ISBN: 0373795254
EAN: 9780373795253
Mass Market Paperback
$4.99

Romance Erotica Sensual

Buy at Amazon.com

Play With Me
by Leslie Kelly

The best games are played in the dark...

Pilot Amanda Bauer has always craved a life of adventure…sexual adventure, that is. Lucky for her, she's currently getting her thrills by indulging in naughty games with hunky Reese Campbell! After their first explosive encounter, they arrange to get together every couple of months for days filled with fantasy and wild, no-strings sex.

And the best part of it? Nobody else knows about it. Nobody!

It's the perfect private indulgence…until they find themselves on YouTube!

This steamy story has interesting scenarios, a riveting plot and great character development.

Excerpt

Halloween

It should have been a routine flight.

Pittsburgh to Chicago was about as simple an itinerary as Clear-Blue Airlines ever flew. In the LearJet 60, travel time would be under an hour. The weather was perfect, the sky like something out of a kid's Crayola artwork display. Blue as a robin's egg, with a few puffy white clouds to set the scene and not a drop of moisture in the air. Crisp, not cold, it was about the most beautiful autumn day they'd had this year.

The guys in the tower were cheerful, the Lear impeccably maintained and a joy to handle. Amanda Bauer's mood was good, especially since it was one of her favorite holidays. Halloween.

She should have known something was going to screw it up.

"What do you Read More...

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Carly Phillips | I'm A Romantic Are You?

I’m so happy to be back at Fresh Fiction for what has become my annual Valentine’s Day blog. This year, after listening to some comments on my Plotmonkeys Blog I realized more people than I would have thought were "done" with Valentine’s Day. From the comments, I gathered much of this "Ugh it’s just another day" theme comes from the commercialization of the holiday. And of the notion that if you’re really in love, you shouldn’t have to make a big show of that love on one stated day a year. To that I say, WHY NOT?

Sure, my husband and I say "I love you" many many times during the year, but I confess to being a romantic at heart. Hey, I write Romance. What can I say? I LOVE the idea of being showered by hearts and flowers and cards (even if said cards have become WAY to expensive, but so has everything else in the world!) I like to know I matter!

Now that said, I have a hubby who is not Mr. Romantic and as a result I’ve learned to work around this problem. And it’s a problem for all holidays, not just Valentine’s Day. He’ll remember the card and thanks to good training, he’ll often remember to send flowers. But I celebrate by buying gifts for my girls, and often something small for my husband AND FOR MYSELF FROM my husband, and let him know he’s gotten me a present. I make myself feel special with his gracious okay. I can do this because I KNOW he loves me - because I know him.

Which leads me to an important conclusion for all of you on this very commercialized, meant to make you feel special but can also make you feel bad and lonely - holiday. If you’re in a relationship and you don’t have a significant other who thinks to buy gifts or flowers, I suggest you think about all the other things that person does for you, ways they make you feel special (and this can even be as simple as their tone of voice when they’re telling you something important) - and know that the display itself doesn’t matter. It’s what’s in your partner’s heart that matters most.

And then - if you need a little pick me up - explain to them you GET their limitations, but you have needs too - and you’re going to buy yourself a little something from them (even if it’s an inexpensive chocolate bar!) - and celebrate knowing you’re loved.

And if you’re not in a relationship? Valentine’s Day is about LOVE - and you love yourself, don’t you? So do something nice for yourself too. (No, not a bag of chocolate to make yourself feel better in the short term - and full and fat in the long run) but a special treat to celebrate LOVE.

And possibilities for the future.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

To comment on I'm A Romantic Are You please click here.

Fresh Pick | NOTHING DENIED by Jess Michaels

Albright Sisters #3
February 2010
On Sale: February 2, 2010
Featuring: Beatrice Albright; Gareth Berenger
320 pages
ISBN: 0061657727
EAN: 9780061657726
Paperback
$13.99
Romance Historical, Romance Erotica Sensual

Buy at Amazon.com

Nothing Denied
by Jess Michaels

Submit to passion, surrender to desire

Shrewish Beatrice Albright is beginning to realize that her difficult nature has consequences. As her seventh unsuccessful Season begins, her younger sister is taken under the wing of her elder sisters and the invitations have dried up. Terrified she’ll be forced into old maidenhood and the company of her mother, she vows to find a groom by Season’s end. Even if he is suspected of murder.

The Marquis of Highcroft, Gareth Berenger is just as shunned as Beatrice since he is thought to have murdered his first wife. But when she demands they wed since no one else wants them, he isn’t sure. Gareth is a man of intense sexual desires and dominant predilections and he’s already seen the consequences if his partner cannot accept them. He proposes instead a trial affair. If Beatrice can handle his sexuality, then they will marry. But as much as Beatrice is drawn in my Gareth’s sensual and shocking seduction, she is also afraid to trust and surrender fully. And there are darker forces sworn to keep them apart and they will use violence to take Beatrice from Gareth.

Excerpt

Oh great God,” her friend breathed.

Beatrice stared at Amelia, unaccustomed to any kind of real emotion from her empty little shell of a friend. Now Amelia’s eyes were wide, her mouth made an “o” and she was actually trembling as she stared passed Beatrice into the ballroom.

“What is it?” she asked.

Her friend shook her head. “Did you not see who just entered the ballroom?”

Beatrice turned and almost took a step back herself. The man who had just entered was not one she was personally familiar with, of course, but she knew him by reputation.

“Is that the Marquis of Highcroft?” she breathed.

Amelia nodded. “Gareth Berenger.”

“Gareth,” Beatrice repeated, staring at the man.

He remained across the room, so she could not discern individual features in any kind of Read More...


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