Wednesday, June 10, 2015

#HumpDay #HappyBirthday

Instead of a sexy hottie I'm giving you a cutie patootie.

Today is my baby's birthday. The youngest of three is now "in the double digets".
He was born with several health issues all of which he's overcome to be an amazing student athlete.
Always the one to interupt my writing more than anyone else 
with questions that make you go "Hmmmm?" 

This boy keeps me hopping and wears me out.

Happy 10th to my favorite #9.

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Tuesday Teaser from Beyond Fairytales - Club Beam by Erzabet Bishop


Blurb:
In the Shadow World, nothing is as it seems.

Detective Sydney Marr is having a very bad day. Her boss is on the warpath, she’s being treated for a werewolf bite, and her current case has hit a dead end. When her friend Erika talks Syd into going with her to Club Beam, she jumps at the chance, even if it means spending an evening without her spell arsenal. A high-class vampire bar and fetish club, Club Beam is fantasy made real.

Club owner and Dom Gideon Raines spies the red-haired beauty and is transfixed. A fight against a skillful murderer brings war for fae and vampire alike. Sometimes when you play with monsters, the monsters play back.
****************

Release date: May 5, 2015
Pages: 106
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Line: Beyond Fairy Tales, Shadow World Series
Genre: Paranormal Urban Fantasy, Fairy Tale, m/f

*****************

I asked Erzabet Bishop where she got the inspiration for such an amazing tale. She told me the story behind the story and more.... 
When I first contacted Decadent Publishing to inquire about their fairy tale line I was assigned a story called “The Beam.” I looked it up and found out it was about a wizard who is bested by a woman and he exacts his revenge. Whenever I encounter a new project like this, I have to sit down and think about what all the moving parts mean. In this case, how to turn a story like this into a modern romance that readers would find appealing. Since I tend to write urban fantasy slanted pieces, I immediately laser beamed in on the wizard and witch part. I mean, how cool is that to have a ready-made story ripe for the picking? I just had to add some modern twists. What would be more modern than a witchy karaoke event and fairy tale fetish night? 

The process of writing for me is an organic one. It begins with a legal pad and a series of colorful sticky notes and a foam board. I start thinking about the chapters and what needs to happen to make the story move and there you go-plot points on sticky notes I can adjust as needed. It works too. Sydney had lots of thoughts on where she wanted to go and believe me, she is still in there talking. 

The second book in the Shadow World series is already writing itself (think dragon shifters and a psychic) and I can see the fireworks shaping up nicely.

 Stay tuned for a short story featuring Sydney in the upcoming Sci Spanks event (https://www.facebook.com/scispanks?fref=ts). You might just get invited for a session behind the Red Door. Master Gideon has a paddle and he’s ready to play.

I hope you will enjoy the introduction to my Shadow World series and return to Club Beam for many more adventures.

Buy links:


Excerpt:
“Once upon a time….” Erika sang and waggled her eyebrows. “Come on, Sydney. Live a little. This club is smoking hot, and you’ll love it.”

Sydney grumbled under her breath and watched the club-goers parade past, each dressed like a fairy-tale character. The Little Mermaid trounced by in a see-through, diaphanous gown revealing too much in the way of personal attributes. Sleeping Beauty sashayed down the sidewalk with a leash around the neck of her Prince Charming. A woman in a way-too-short Red Riding Hood outfit approached. Her arm was wrapped around a seductress dressed in wolf ears, a tail, and a skimpy thong-style bikini. Red carried a basket full of what looked like pink fuzzy handcuffs and a can of whipped cream, which she swung into Syd.

“Hey!”

The red-cloaked vixen sent her a wink and traipsed on by, joined by a near-pornographic version of the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. Any shorter and the skirt would show her naughty bits. Or maybe that was the plan.

Syd had just gotten off her day shift as a detective, and the last thing she wanted to do was be around more people. Especially people with more skin showing than on late-night cable shows. Her head hurt from the lights and the pulse of the music, and her stupid witch costume was pinching her toes. Erika’s scant fairy costume hugged all her curves, her breasts bursting from the bodice. The skirt barely covered her backside, and the strappy silver sandals showed off her silver-glitter nail polish.

The building loomed next to them. A giant warehouse-like structure, it was large enough to house all manner of mischief, and Syd was itching with the desire to get inside and find out just what was going on behind its doors. The sidewalk was flagged by trees lit up with twinkly white lights, adding an upscale ambiance to the area. What in the daylight looked like an industrial area gone to the dogs had been transformed into an attractive and well-attended venue.

She didn’t have the heart to tell Erika she’d been here once already today for the case she was working on, but the entrance had been sealed up tighter than a drum. Sydney’s recourse was to infiltrate Club Beam by night as a patron. Her sergeant, Debra, would kill her if she realized Syd had even considered going in without backup. So would her partner, James. Erika had asked her to come so she wouldn’t be alone, and, despite herself, Syd couldn’t resist. To catch a vampire, you had to go out at night, and Club Beam was the hot spot. After last month’s fuckup, she had to do this and do it right, even if it killed her. James was on medical leave, and it remained up to her to get this guy before someone else got killed or turned furry.

I will not think about becoming one of the terminally furry. It’s over. Move on. Take the pills the doctor gave you and freaking pray.

“Oh look. I think I see Snow White.” Erika stood on her tiptoes and craned her head along the huge expanse of line they still had to navigate to get inside.

Syd peered into the crowd and grimaced. Hairy legs. More makeup than a Mac commercial. “Nope. That was a guy in drag.”

Erika narrowed her eyes. “God, Syd. You’re the world’s biggest wet blanket ever.”

Sydney shifted her weight and moved another two steps toward the door as the line inched forward. 

“I told you, I’ve had a hard day. We had a homicide case come in, and I’ve been out beating the street. I want to go home and bury my head under my pillow. But, no. Out of the kindness of my heart, here I am standing in line at a vampire bar with a bunch of overgrown kids playing dress-up in fairy-tale fetish wear.”
*********

About the Author:
Erzabet Bishop is the author of Club Beam, Sigil Fire, Written on Skin, Tethered, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts Jess and Marnie interactive choose your own adventure romances and more. She is a contributing author to The Big Book of Submission, Slave Girls, Hungry for More and many other anthologies. She is a finalist for the 2015 Goldie Awards and an active member of the Romance Writers of America. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and is often playing at local bookstores. Follow her posts on Twitter @erzabetbishop.
Newsletter sign up: http://erzabetwrites.wix.com/erzabetbishop




Sunday, June 7, 2015

Take a Sunday Drive & Get Lost

“Sunday is the day that clears away the rust of the week” – Joseph Addison

Many Sundays of my childhood were spent going for a Sunday Drive. I was born late in life to my parents. My siblings were both married with their own families. When my parents should have been enjoying life just the two of them...they had me. I sat in the backseat usually lapping away at an ice-cream cone while my parents sat in the front, holding hands. I grew older and chose to stay home or hang with friends, they continued their Sunday drives.

When my guy and I were first married, we often took off for an aimless drive and often stumbled upon farmers’ markets, out-of-the-way antique shops, or simply “the most beautiful road”.

I have to admit, taking off without a destination on a quiet Sunday afternoon is only a dream for hubby and I. Our weekends are currently tied up with son’s baseball tournaments. Trust me as soon as the season is over…. Grab the keys honey!

When it’s just you and your honey, tooling around town or simply exploring the countryside it still feels as if you had a real getaway. This is great “Couple Time”. This sharing and discovery time makes the world better and often a relationship stronger.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Take Me To The Ballgame

My youngest son joined a travel baseball team and we are ALL ABOUT THAT BASE

A family activity is to catch  Detroit Tigers games on TV, I don't mind too much. 

We have the best looking manager.


Gotta love those TIGER fans




Thursday, June 4, 2015

Interview with Romance Author Sara Daniel


I’m pleased to have a special guest today. She’s a fellow author of 1 Night Stand stories and Beyond Fairytales from Decadent Publishing. Thank you, Sara Daniel for joining us today. Make yourself comfortable and enjoy the chocolates next to you.  

You are a prolific writer with several books available. You are one busy gal! Now, tell us about your latest book. What was the inspiration?
I currently have 11 books out with one more coming next month and then three re-releases over the summer. My latest book is One Night with her Husband. The heroine is a continuing character from earlier books in the One Night with the Bridal Party series. I’ve written a few stories about high school lovers, but I’d never written a book about college lovers before, and since my husband and I fell in love and married in college (and will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year) I really wanted to explore that story.

20 years!  Congrats. I bet he helps with research. (Wink, wink) How naughty do you get with your writing?  Are we talking just suggestion or downright bondage?
Well, I suppose that depends on your definition of naughty. ;) I write explicit love scenes. Trust, control and vulnerability are all such big issues for many characters, and those figure prominently in the love scenes as part of their story. I don’t write BDSM, so no bondage. Most of my books fit into the erotic romance category.

Give us a favorite line from one of your books.
“We’re not discussing sex lives.” Marcia stabbed at the lettuce on her plate.
“Good, because I have nothing to share and don’t want to hear about yours.”
“Good, because my vibrator collection is none of your business.”
--Marcia and Adrian from One Night With her Husband

WOW! I love it!!! Serious but funny.
If you could have any movie star take on a role as one of your heroes, who would it be?
I think Henry Cavill would make a great Adrian. They’re both ripped and have worked hard for their physique. They both have a buttoned-up business side. And if you ask Marcia, Adrian becomes Superman in the bedroom. ;)

Damn… he’s a total hottie. What is the strangest thing you’ve Googgled while working on a story?
For about a month, all my sidebar ads were for cowboy hats because I was searching for just the right cowboy hat for my heroine to wear in One Night with his Wife

I’ve written a couple children’s books about squirrels under my alter-ego Sara Shafer, and I Googled “how many toes do squirrels have?” (18 – 4 toes on the front paws and 5 toes on each back paw in case you’re wondering!)

Oh, I heard you had an issue with a couple of squirrels who took up residence with you. We’ll have to swap squirrel stories. LOL. Back to work stuff…Do you have any rituals or “must-haves” while writing?
I have to type when I write. I can’t keep up by writing long-hand. When things aren’t going well, I pace and get up for snacks. My only real “must-have” is a window or someplace where I can see outside. Sitting outside is even better. Nature inspires my muse.

Me too!!! I live in the woods and my muse enjoys all the nature…sometimes too much.  LOL Time to give us some trivial tid-bits…
Favorite drink: coffee in the morning, red wine in the evening
Favorite candy: really good dark chocolate or Fannie May Trinidads
Favorite food: my mother’s homemade lasagna
Favorite article of clothing or jewelry: jeans for clothes, my simple wristwatch for jewelry
Favorite place to read: Somewhere where no one will interrupt me
Place you want to visit some day: Italy, Europe, Hawaii, Alaska

Thank for joining us today.  Give us a teaser then let’s go get some more yummy dark chocolate. It’s really good with red wine!
Thanks so much for hosting me, Mary!



For better or worse, he would not live the rest of his life in a suspended, married-but-not-married state.

“I’m sorry I shocked you with my presence.” He wasn’t sorry for surprising her, but he regretted how unwelcome his surprise had been.

She swiped at her eyes and began rummaging in the glove compartment. “You have my phone number. You could have warned me you were coming.”

His chest tightened. “Those stiff, formal calls don’t change anything, except suck away my soul. I needed to shake things up.”

“So you decided to burst in during the biggest business crisis I’ve ever faced?” She extracted a pack of tissues from the compartment and mopped her beautiful face. “I hope you have a better strategy to save my company, or we’re doomed.”

With the pressure to convince her to believe in him more intense than during his meeting with Mr. Gladstone, he crouched next to her seat. “While we work together to fix Sunburst’s crisis, we have a chance to bridge the distance between us, too.”

Mouth gaping, she met his gaze again. “Your idea of bridging the distance is to ambush me in my own conference room and then introduce yourself like we’re freaking strangers?”

Failure tasted metallic and bitter in his mouth. In his plans, he’d skipped straight to wowing her with his marketing prowess. He hadn’t considered he’d upset her so much she wouldn’t stick around to listen to his spiel. “No, I played my ace card. You put your trust in Gladstone PR. I made myself the face of Gladstone so we’d have enough common business interests that you wouldn’t immediately kick me out of your personal life.”

Marcia squeezed the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. “I don’t have time to think about anything personal right now, and I certainly can’t let my employees see me as an emotional wreck. They’re counting on me to lead them with a solid plan.”

Business and her career didn’t just come first in her heart. They owned her whole heart. Adrian had been a fool to lose sight of that. Burying his own hurt and frustration, he said, “I have a beautiful plan for the company. We’ll put it in action together.” Afterward, he’d have to decide if he could handle coming in a distant second place with her for the rest of his life. “Trust me.”

She stared at the steering wheel for a long time before turning to him. “I have to. You’re my only hope.”
********************


Sara Daniel writes what she loves to read—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She battles a serious NASCAR addiction, was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels, and loses her car keys several times a day. One Night with her Husband is the latest book in her One Night with the Bridal Party series. Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/rx_AL Visit her website: http://www.SaraDaniel.com




She walked away from her marriage seven years ago...
Marcia Johnson always assumed her husband would follow her eventually. She’d achieve success while she waited and prove her decision the right one. But when he finally turns up, she’s not ready. Her career hangs in the balance, and her weight has skyrocketed. How can she face the man she loves and show him she made the right choice? Especially when he’s matured from a decent-looking college student into the sexiest man she’s ever seen.

He’s waited seven years for his wife to finally need him…
If Adrian Torres can save her business, maybe he’ll have a shot at saving their marriage. But the woman he finds is too competent and independent to ask him for help. She even shrugs off his touch instead of reacting with the desire he hoped to ignite. Have the embers of their marriage finally died? Is it time to end their relationship and move forward?

He wants a divorce…
Her world ripped apart, Marcia turns to 1Night Stand to give her one more night before she lets Adrian go. She dares not hope for more. Even Madame Eve couldn’t have the magic to save their neglected disaster of a relationship…could she?


Sara is currently doing a Rafflecopter giveaway
for a $20 Amazon gift card through the end of June.
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