Great Monday

Really great Monday. And that's even before the coffee!! 

I received a new contract and am back at work after taking a week off to revitalize my sorry brain. Note: It's a Deadman's Reach coffee week. I'm telling you, Raven's Brew is my absolute favorite coffee. Followed closely by La Llave. I like to share good blends, and those places rock.

The Fun in Friday: An Excerpt

I missed Wednesday Words this week because school started for the kids and I had a Samhain blog to share. So, to make up for this, a new (unedited) excerpt from Raising the Bar--Dylan Warren's story. Dylan was introduced in Enjoying the Show and then Closing the Deal. Enjoy. Note, Dylan is happily bisexual. Don't read this at work or around small children who can read. >:) You've been warned.

Dylan laughed. He’d been laughing a lot tonight. Who would have guessed that Harper Reynolds could be so entertaining? Not a stereotypical building contractor more interested in beer and tits and ass than a good conversation. Harper had a keen intelligence and eye for detail that intrigued Dylan. Like peeling back the layers of an onion, Dylan kept learning about the man the more they talked.

“Like you, I have no preference,” he answered Harper’s question. “It boils down to how I feel about a particular person more than what gender they are. I love the female body. It’s different, filled with curves and softer flesh. Kissing a woman is sexy, warm.” He stared at Freddy, unable to resist looking at her. That woman he wouldn’t have minded getting to know better. Then he turned back to his dining partner. “But a man is harder. Firm, hot, and the sex, if done right, can go from zero to sixty in seconds.”

“Yeah. You have a nice way with words.” Harper seemed closer, and his dark brown eyes looked hungry. “You ever been with two people before? A ménage?”

“N-no.” Dylan cleared his throat, embarrassed to have a rock hard erection while talking to Harper at the bar, for God’s sake. “Not that I haven’t fantasized about it, but reality and recriminations can be ugly the morning after.”

Harper pulled back and frowned. “Recriminations? For what?”

“I don’t know. Two people have a hard enough time handling emotions and issues in a relationship. Then you throw in a third? Someone’s bound to feel left out at some point.”

Harper’s frown cleared, and he laughed. “Man, you are way over-thinking it. Imagine shoving into a warm pussy while sucking a guy off. Two sets of hands touching you everywhere. Sex on top of sex. You lying between two people set on making you come, over and over again.” Harper took another drag of beer. “I am so fucking hard right now.”

“You like to share, don’t you?” Dylan was proud of himself for not sounding as if strangling on his own desire. Everything Harper had said seemed dragged out of his own psyche. And right now, he had a difficult time not imagining himself between Harper and Freddy. As if the woman would consent to a threesome with a virtual stranger.

“And that’s another thing,” Dylan added, trying to keep the conversation on the level. More intellectual, less prurient. “Finding normal people who want to engage in something outside the norm isn’t that easy. Especially since I have to be discreet. My profession kind of dictates I not be so outwardly crazy.”

“You think a threesome is crazy? Interesting. I’d pegged you as much more liberal in your views.”

Dylan frowned. “I am. I don’t judge, and I think anyone who wants to explore himself should, without fear of reprisal.”

“Oh man. You are so sexy when you talk like that.”

Dylan blinked. “Like what?” Every time Harper looked at his mouth like that, Dylan grew breathless.

“’Fear of reprisal’? You’re better than my twelfth grade English teacher. You’re sexy and you use big words.”

Dylan shook his head. “You’re an idiot.”

“Maybe.”

Dylan lowered his voice. “Have you ever had a threesome?”

“In college. But I was too young to really appreciate it. As I grow older, though, I wonder a lot about all I missed. I’m not getting any younger, you know. A little over a year ago I ended up joining this place. I thought I’d find like-minded people who might want to play around. And then I was hit with a ton of work.” Harper sighed. “As thankful as I am to sock the money away, work has played hell with my social life.”

“I can relate.”

“I know. That’s why I think this place could work for you.” Harper pushed his plate away and finished his beer. “Come on. Let me show you around.”

Dylan had already finished his food and went for his wallet, but Harper stopped him by covering his hands.

“I put it on my tab. You can pay me later.”

“Okay.” Dylan looked to where Harper still had a hold of him. “You going to let me go?” It intrigued him to be smaller than someone else. Not that Dylan stood heads above all his peers, but he didn’t date larger men. He’d never wondered why, just took it as his type.

Yet with Harper, he couldn’t decide if he liked the man being larger than him or not. Because he had a feeling Harper was physically stronger as well. Harper showed every sign of being dominant, physically and mentally. And what would that mean in the bedroom, where Dylan normally called the shots?

“For now, Doc.” I’ll let you go for now, he was saying. “Come on. There’s something you need to see.”

Curious, Dylan followed him from the bar through the house—though mansion was a better descriptor. They passed a billiards room, a closed off smoking lounge that they thankfully avoided, an indoor pool and hot tub area, and then headed for a grand stairway guarded by a large man who nodded at Harper as they passed.

“Second floor is for members only. But don’t worry. You’re with me.” Harper continued up the stairs. They passed a number of rooms.

“How large is this place?”

Harper stopped before a door and withdrew a keycard from his back pocket. “It’s got a good forty rooms. Used to be a hotel back in the day, and they’ve since added to it. We have nearly a hundred members, but membership is by invitation only.”

They entered and Dylan asked, “So who invited you?”

But Harper didn’t answer. Just as the door closed, he slammed Dylan against the wall and kissed the breath out of him.

Dylan gasped, stunned and so turned on by Harper’s force he couldn’t breathe. He kissed Harper back, angling for dominance, and found to his shock he couldn’t manage it. Instead, Harper led. The bigger man threaded his hands through Dylan’s hair to hold him steady while he worked Dylan with his mouth.

“Fuck. You taste so good. I need you, right now. Gotta have you,” Harper muttered as he sucked at Dylan’s neck.

Dylan arched his head, baring more of his throat.

“That jacket is hot. Everything about you turns me on,” Harper admitted. He pulled back to stare into Dylan’s face. “You’re single, I’m single. I’m safe, and just talking to you tells me you’re not the type to take risks.”

“I’m with you, aren’t I?” Dylan breathed. It annoyed him to think he wasn’t a risk taker, and more, that Harper knew that much about him after such a short time together. The man seemed to have the ability to read him much too easily.

“Are you?” Harper ground his hips against Dylan’s, and Dylan moaned at the hardness rubbing against his own.

Coming to Samhain in 2013

School is IN!!!

Yes. That's right. It's the first day of school. I just got the kiddos settled and am gearing up to go walk in the park. Without whining. With a friend, and we can talk without stopping to yell to the kids to catch up. This may not seem like much, but I have been granted a touch of Nirvana with a whine-free walk. And just think, writing during the day again! I'm crying tears of joy.  Meanwhile, even the kids are happy to be back with friends in a school we all just love. Hurray for Wednesday!!!!!!!

At Samhain Today

I'm at Samhain today blogging about names. Please do stop by and leave a comment. And if you're interested in the top baby names of 2012, I posted a  top ten list. Number one surprised me.

A Celebration and and Excerpt from Entranced

To celebrate my new "adult content" status, I thought I'd post a more risque excerpt than normal. This is a never before seen, brand spankin' new excerpt from Entranced, coming to Loose Id in December.

Note: If you've read the Dawn Endeavor books, you already know Jack Keiser. But the handyman is much more than he seemed. You don't have to have read anything to understand this book and these characters, but it's more fun to see Jack's progression through the other stories, I think. (Warning, this excerpt is pre-edits...)

That kiss earlier had nearly fried her senses. Pretending to be calm while her entire body yelled at her to hop on Jack and ride him into tomorrow had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Even now she could still taste him, a hint of hops from the beer he’d drunk mixed with his own brand of sexual aggression. All male and overpowering.

God, she’d never been with anyone so overwhelming. Beneath the flesh and blood, energy raged within him. The Source only added to his power, and she’d been drugged on him since that first hug.

Something about him intrigued her. She’d never gone for the bad boy type. Heather studied him, seeing those huge fists, the thick thighs, the broad chest, the square jaw. His eyes snapped with power, so light they looked unnatural.

“What?” he growled, watching her watch him. “Afraid now?  A little late, don’t you think?”

“Get over yourself.”

She blinked in surprise, as shocked as he by her aggression. Heather was nice to everyone. Even David and Ernst Baer, the heavy-handed creeps who’d tried to take way too many liberties at last week’s beer fest. To Ernst, she’d politely declined his company. She’d smiled at David, carefully skirted him, and latched on to Jon, who’d been walking by at the time.

But Jack confused, annoyed and scared her because he made her want him more than was healthy. More than was normal. She had a feeling that if she let him, he could disrupt her well-ordered world even more than Chronicles had. Heather knew that eventually this adventure would end. With Jack, she had the sense he’d stay with her, in thought if not in the flesh.

They stared at each other in silence.

“You know, you’re not what I expected,” he finally said.

“Oh? Care to explain what that means?”

He evaded the question. “Your brother asked me to find you. He was
worried.”

Of course, Owen would be. The control freak didn’t like that she hadn’t called when he’d commanded. She loved him like crazy, but she had to do this without his interference. He wasn’t the one to make things right. She was, because she’d been the one to read the code hidden in the book. Only she could fix what her great-grandfather had broken. She had to go it alone.

Then again, Jack could be classified as interference, and Ida had clearly inferred Heather needed him. So perhaps she wouldn’t be as alone on this trip as she’d initially thought.

“You’re pretty,” Jack said bluntly. “Beautiful, actually.” His gaze went from her head to her toes and lingered in between.

She wished to hell her body wouldn’t respond, but for some reason Jack got to her.

“But it’s more than that.” Jack rose from the couch and approached. Half of her wanted to flee, the other half forced her to remain and wait for the worst. “See, here’s the thing that bothers me. You say you can heal. Your mind is strong. But then, Owen’s powerful, so I’d expect you to be like him. But you’re more.”

“More, how?” she asked on a breath, once again too close to him and sizzling under their shared chemistry.

“What can you do, exactly? What’s your gift besides healing?” he asked and put his hand on her shoulder.

She grew wet, her nipples stiffened, and she felt herself wanting to lean into his heat. Heather licked her dry lips and tried to answer without sounding as desperate as she felt. So she’d been without a boyfriend for months. Sex hadn’t been that high on her priorities for a while. But it had never been so all-consuming a desire as it was right now.

It had to be the Source under the town influencing her arousal.

“Tell me,” he whispered. His breath fluttered over her mouth when he leaned closer.

She swallowed hard. “I told you. I heal, physically and psychically. All types of wounds.”

“So you’re empathic, then?” He put his other hand on her other shoulder and started rubbing, a gentle massage that made her boneless in seconds.

“N-no. Not empathic. I just sense the hurt and fix it.” She moaned. “Oh wow. That feels so good.”

“You’re tense.” His low voice barely registered. “Tight, smooth, and wet, I’ll bet,” he added in a growl before he kissed her again.

That first time she’d been caught off guard. As fast and heavy as their interlude in the alley had been, she thought she could have stopped him before they grew too serious. But right now, she could do nothing but follow his lead, caught up in the man touching her.

Right now, Jack didn’t feel wounded at all. He surrounded her with his raw masculinity. Consumed by his scent, she breathed him in and clutched his thick shoulders. Her lips softened under his, and she opened her mouth wider when he penetrated with his tongue and took charge.

He groaned and walked her backward until she felt the wall behind her. Jack lifted her as if she weighed nothing and wrapped her legs around his waist. One hand held her up while the other found her breasts and played. Under her sweater, he pinched her nipples, and she ground against the hard ridge of his erection between her legs, cursing the jeans that separated them.

“Need to fuck you so bad,” he muttered against her ear, then kissed the sweet spot just under it before she realized he’d let go of her breast to unsnap her jeans. He fiddled with their clothes between them while he kissed her beyond sanity.

Entranced, A PowerUp! novel

Coming to Loose Id in December

Adult or Not?

My blog is not one of the content restricted blogs. But I've been thinking about switching over. Basically it just has you click a button to enter after getting a content warning. I hadn't done this before, because I didn't want to offend anyone or limit my audience, but that's just stupid. I write erotic romance, and I'm limiting my own content.

Anyone have any comments on this? Do you think it's a good or bad decision? I don't mind going to other sites that have this warning. And it doesn't mean that I can only post racy material, just that some of what you read on this blog may be of a more adult nature. 

Wednesday Words

Thought I'd start something new. On Wednesdays, I'm going to post some of what I've written that's not yet published. Who knows if it will make it into the books or not? 

This is a passage from Right Wolf, Right Time (that WILL be in the book). The story releases in November from Samhain.

Across the street behind the window in the coffee shop, Monty fought not to tear the curtains framing the large window and jump through glass to rescue Sophie. How the hell could she let that bastard maul her on a public sidewalk?

“Dean apparently struck out.” Grady shook his head and watched as Rafe and Sophie strolled toward the movie theater. “Let’s hope Ty and Burke have better luck.”

“Yeah, let’s hope,” Monty growled, aching to sink his teeth into Sheridan’s throat.

Grady slapped him on the back. “Don’t worry, buddy. We have your back. But the rest is up to you. You want to claim her? You better move fast. From what I heard, she’s tired of waiting on your *ss.”

And that’s what truly burned him. Monty had been thoughtful, caring, gentle—all for a she-wolf who didn’t seem to appreciate his kindness. Hell, he could have muscled in and had her after their first meeting. He’d sensed their instant connection. But had he? No. He’d been worried about her state of mind, nervous about adding to her fear of wolves and men in particular. And for all his effort, the woman had the nerve to go out with Rafe f*cking Sheridan.

He growled again.

“Dude, ease up.” Grady looked over his shoulder and waved at the patrons frowning at them. “Come on. Have the Chastells ever not annoyed the gray wolves?”

Monty drew a few deep breaths to calm down. He tempered his impatience. Hell, if the cats couldn’t shake the leech off Sophie, he’d simply break the man in two. Then he’d deal with the little she-wolf.

“Come on. Time for the next part of Ty’s master plan. Fox thinks he knows best…” Grady continued muttering under his breath.

They left the coffee shop and trailed Sophie until a large pain in Monty’s *ss broke from the shadows and blocked their way. Behind him stood four more gray wolves. They certainly had presence. The wolves stood a head taller than most Ac-taw to begin with. Most of his kind were brawny and thick. Dense muscle, sharp teeth and deadly claws, when shifted, kept Cougar Falls safe when the wolves weren’t ripping up the town and its inhabitants in turf wars.

Now they stood between him and Sophie.

The mean grin Axel gave him brought out his wolf, eager for payback. “Fancy meeting you on the street, Monty. Out for a stroll with your boyfriend?”

The other wolves snickered.

Grady laughed as well. “Good one. Didn’t know you dogs had a sense of humor.”

They bristled. Wolves hated to be confused with domesticated canines. Monty didn’t like it either, but he could appreciate the general insult. It certainly scored with Axel.

“Look, Chastell. This is between us and GrayClaw. Move it along before I have to hurt you.” He looked more than up for it.

Grady backed away, his hands in the air. “You won’t get any trouble from me.” He shrugged. “I can’t speak for the others, though. For some odd reason, they seem to like the dumb wolf.”

“Hey.” Monty glared, then grinned as the scent of felines accompanied the shift of the wind. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Stacey, Dean and two of Stacey’s sisters, Melissa and Amy. Normally one cat could take on a pair of wolves with ease. Male lions were bad enough. But the females didn’t take kindly to anyone messing with what they considered theirs. At all.

“Oh hell. Hiding behind a bunch of women?” Axel sneered at him.

Monty nodded. “You bet your *ss. You might have taken me in a fight, but I dare you to tackle any of them.”

Axel cursed him and took a step forward. Then Amy and Melissa were suddenly in front of Monty, nudging him behind them.

He wanted the fight, but he wanted Sophie more. So he left the cats to battle the wolves and entered an alleyway to circle behind the buildings. With the theater taken care of, he’d lie in wait back at Sophie’s. He had to hand it to Grady—the cat had left little to chance. Now if Ty could sabotage Rafe and Sophie’s romance under the big screen, Monty wouldn’t have to break the cat into tiny pieces.

Either way, Monty wasn’t going home tonight without Sophie.

Cyber Marketing--Bullying Be Thy Name

I have a very low tolerance for things forced upon me. In retrospect, that's probably why I'm not that great at marketing. I don't want to cram my writing down someone else's throat. So I'm particularly peeved when others do it to me. 

Facebook and Twitter are marketing tools. I admit, I also goof off using them. But I'm growing increasingly annoyed at the many "likes" and groups I'm added to with no idea who or what I'm attached to.

Even more recently, I received a friend request I accepted. The woman seemed to be of age, and I'm all for networking. Then her spouse messaged me not once but three times to like his wife's inspirational book, with an added link in case I really wanted to read it. Hey, that's great to be supportive. But prodding me with not one but three emails to like her page/book is really not helping her cause. I didn't "unlike" her page because she might not be aware of her husband's idiocy, but really. Does this method work? Bully readers into reading you?

Maybe I'm that odd stubborn duck that doesn't respond to pushiness, but I think it's plain obnoxious. Like those %$$#@@!! mortgage jerks constantly (and I mean, several times a day) calling my house to get me to convert my loan. I went from letting my machine collect messages to now answering that I am not a glass company (I still get calls for a business that used to have my same number) and I won't talk to anyone about mortgages. Then I happily add a hello, what can I do for you in my most pleasant voice. 

I can't be the only one who deals with this kind of nonsense, but I wonder what others do to prevent this from repeatedly happening. Or maybe it's one of those situations where you just shut up and deal.  Either way, it's extremely annoying before coffee, any way you look at it.

Another Monday

Usually I'd be whining about another Monday, but this one looks pretty good. I'm feeling cheery, hence the shot of the pretty, bright, happy flower to the left. (That's my mood today.)  The weather is sunny but cool. The kids have playdates so I'm getting actual work done during daylight hours. And school is one short week away. I'm feeling giddy. I'm a sucker for schedules. I do better when I have fixed free time. I hate watching the clock, but there is a comfort to knowing when I can work without interruption and when I can't. 

Last night I avoided all television, and after tucking my kids to bed, typed way into the wee hours. Needless to say I was dragging this morning.

This week is strictly for editing. So I'm back to the grindstone, but as of Sept 5, I won't have to work too late anymore. And that's something I'm cheering about on this fine Monday afternoon.

What Makes Sexy Sizzle: Giveaway

I'm at Romance Junkies today talking about what I like to write and read. Stop by and comment for a chance to win a copy of The Lost Locket, the first in my PowerUp! series.

Chirping Isn't Just for the Birds--OR--Why I Hate My Fire Alarms

Ever had one of those nights where your fire alarm chirps because the battery is low, but you can't figure out which alarm is doing that ^&%$##@! chirping? My intention last night to go to bed early was sabotaged by my house, which I still think is possessed by some type of noisy spirit. My icemaker clinks at all hours, the furnace grates on and off at will, and the squirrels and woodpeckers seem to have contests about who can drop the most crap on my rooftop.

But the fire alarms were by far more annoying than anything I've dealt with. Just when I thought I'd figured out which alarm made the noise, it would be silent. So thinking the nonsense finished, I tried to get to sleep. Only to hear that chirping twenty minutes later. grrr  I ended up changing out two alarms, both of which had green lights, which supposedly signals a healthy battery. Whatever. Needless to say, I hit the sack at 2am. So much for getting some decent sleep so I'd write early this morning. sigh. I still rose early (for me) at 0830. My mother is going to take the kiddos out today, so I can get some real work done. That's if the fire alarms will cease and desist.  Wish me luck.

New Cover: Right Wolf, Right Time

Here's the new cover for my upcoming Cougar Falls book, Right Wolf, Right Time. The book releases in November from Samhain. I can't wait!! So happy Monday, and happy birthday to my bud, Maria.