Memorial Day Tribute

Last week Mom and I went to the cemetaries to make sure flags were on the local graves of the vets in our family. My heart always thanks them for their service. My ancester who fought in the Revolutionary War is buried in Connecticut. Grt. Grt Gramp who fought in the Cilvil War is buried in Grand Rapids, MI.  Many Grt Uncles and my Grandfathers served in the Army and Navy during WWI. My dad was in USMC - South Pacific for WWII then served state-side as tough as nails Drill Sgt during Korea. Uncle and Father-In-Law were in the Army during Korea, "the Coldwar", then peacetime. Several cousins served in the Army and USMC while my big bro was on a nuclear sub during Vietnam. Only three of these fine men are still alive today.

Dad, somewhere in the South Pacific. WWII
I miss him.

Big Brother on "The Georgefish". Vietnam.
Still my rock.

Take a moment to remember those who are serving, have served. Remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice and never came home. (Dad said those were the real heroes.) 

Many classmates from Arthur Hill High School and Alma College went into the service. I wish I could mention them all. 

It takes a special person willing to put his/her life on the line for a country. Personal sacrifices were made by all - the simple comforts we take for granted, family, friends and in some cases pieces of their minds, bodies and souls. Thank you my friends for your courage and your honor. 

Please find a way to hep support vets today. They gave so much for us, many of them need us now.

Speical thanks to Whiskey Rick for his service 

and answering countless questions while I develope my characters for the Legend of the Spirit Series.

Humpday Hottie & Dishwashing 101

Seeing a man on his own accord washing dishes is HOT.

Tips:

1.      Dishes wash easily if you keep them under the water while scrubbing them. Particles lift away. Bring the dish out of the water to check for missed spots. 

2.      Stacking a few dishes in the sink at a time allows dishes a few minutes of soaking time while you work on washing another dish. 

3.      Try drying pots and pans with a paper towel to reduce residue from the pan staining the dishcloth.

4.      Don't allow aluminum to soak while dishwashing. Doing so can darken the finish. 

5.      Dish washing silverware can be tricky. Use a lint free cloth for drying silverware.

 “Wanted a man who empties the dishwasher. And if you want to really sweep me off my feet load it too. Then baby I’m all yours. The sight of you with those plates in your hand has me tingling from head to toe. Oh I’m all yours darlin’ and I ain’t ever gonna let you go.”

What do you think ladies….

does a man who will do the dishes start your engine?

Interview with Erotic Romance Author Chloe Thurlow

Welcome to this stop on the Blog Tour for Katie In Love, 

the new release from erotic romance author Chloe Thurlow.

Chloe Thurlow is an amazing blogger with her short, dynamic and sometimes controversal essays. When she's not working on her blogs she's writing steamy erotic romance. Chloe is super busy these days with a new release and a huge blog tour. We are super lucky to have her stop by today!  

Thanks for joining us today, Chloe. This book, Katie is Love is brilliantly written. Is this your first book? How many books have you prior?

Katie in Love is my 6^th novel, but it is the first I have self-published and the first time I feel as if my blood, sweat and very soul appears pressed between the pages.

You put alot of work into the book and it shows. It's obvious you LOVE to write. How naughty do you get with your writing?  Are we talking just suggestion or downright bondage?

Erotica is a literary genre, so that blend of suggestion and the explicit should be nuanced. Sex should evolve from plot and all my books are always from the female point of view. 

Readers love to hear the story behind the story. What inspired you to write your latest book? Is anything in the book based on someone you know or events in your own life?

Mmm. I met a man. I was bored with my job. I broke my finger falling on the ice in East London.  I had been making notes and thinking about who I was, where I was going, what I wanted. I put all these thoughts into a big pot, sprinkled in some hot chilli erotica and stirred in a pinch of art, philosophy and politics to create a romance that would resonate with women and with our times.  

Hmm... sounds like a tasty dish.  How do you come up with your characters’ names? 

The name Katie for Katie in Love dropped in my head like a leaf falling from the trees – Katie sound a bit like Chloe, of course, but that's just a coincidence. Tom is based on someone I know and love. I stole his personality, kindness and intellect to create Dr Bridge.  Tom and Katie are very different: the seeds of attraction and conflict.

Those seeds of attraction & conflict make a book too good to put down. We appoligize to readers in advance if they suffer a book hangover from staying up all night reading. A good book is like a movie, except the reader sees the film in her head. If you could have any movie star take on a leading role, who would it be?

Emily Blunt would play Katie all the way to the Oscars in Katie in Love. Felicity Jones was born to play Bella in my first novel, The Secret Life of Girls.

LOVE Emily Blunt!!!  Now back to writing, you are amazing but every author travels a journey. What would you say were the hardest scenes to write for you?

My earlier novels were personal growth, coming of age stories, and linear. There is an easy A to B to C structure. Katie in Love is a romance with reflection, regret, misunderstandings and envy (Katie for Tom's ex-girlfriend, a French cellist named Marie-France). Scenes where Katie is going through changes were complex and needed to be subtle. I tried to make the reader feel for Katie and identify with the pain of change. When Katie sees Marie-France performing in concert, her feelings are so sharp I wanted to prick the readers tear ducts into for a little sob of sympathy and empathy.

I think you handled the complexity with beauty and grace. Periodically a writer has to come up for air and visit real life. What is the strangest thing you’ve experienced while working on a story?

Two strange things happened: the first, when I started writing the book, I saw a woman jump from the Albert Bridge in Chelsea. She was swept away on the strong current.  I learned later that she died and was reminded that all things are impermanent. 

OMG!!! I can see how that can make one take a moment to remember the constant flow of life.

Another time, I was drinking cava with a girlfriend named Lizzie Woodham in a bar in Wardour Street. We saw two people I am sure were strangers, a woman in a gold dress and a man with a huge moustache, first dancing and then having sex  in a dark booth in the corner of the bar. The girl reminded me of me when I was younger.

Lordy, I might have to ask you what you were like "back in the day". We could have fun swapping stories over a glass or four of vino. That will have to be saved for another day. Say, I like the simplicity of your book title. How did you come up with it?

My other books all have the word GIRL in the title. Katie in Love is a romance, and Katie is a woman, not a girl. I thought: mmm, I need the word LOVE. Now, who is the book really about? Katie. So, there it was: Katie in Love.

Readers will for sure love Katie in Love! Do you have anything you would like to say to your peeps in cyberland?

Yes, please buy my book. It changed my life and it may change yours, too

xx - Chloe

Chloe Thurlow's WEBSITE

Before you leave, folks want to know some fun stuff. 

What is your:

Favorite drink: cava, same grapes as champagne, less fizzy, smoother and less alcohol content so you can drink more.

Favorite candy: dark chocolate.

Favorite food: pizza and ice cream. One day I will write the Pizza, Ice Cream and Cava Diet.

Favorite article of clothing or jewelry: shoes, dangly earrings, skirts short enough to embarrass my Mother.

Favorite place to read: in bed.

What place would you want to visit some day: the Great Wall of China, the only man made structure (except for the US highways) that can be seen from the moon; at least that's what they say and I would like to find out for myself.

Thank you Chloe Thurlow for visiting today. 

Be sure to check out her new book, Katie in Love and enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this post. Visit the other stops on the tour for more fun.

BLURB

Katie Boyd has nothing in common with Tom Bridge, the volunteer doctor she meets at a party – except in bed she finds a passion to match her own. Tom is intense, puzzling, a man who cares about others and compels Katie to question her own life drifting through the hip clubs and London party scene.

When Tom returns to his post in a Sri Lanka orphanage, Katie isn’t sure if their passion was lit by its brevity, or if love, unexpected and not entirely wanted, has edged its way into her life. Should she go back to being who she always was? Or follow Tom into the unknown?

Katie in Love is a compelling erotic-romance that will grip readers as they follow Katie’s journey to an ending they may have expected – but not in the way they expected it.

Brilliantly written and coolly self-aware, Chloe Thurlow was described by KM Dylan on Amazon as “…the Anaïs Nin of our times.” With Katie in Love  – her sixth novel – Thurlow reveals a writer at the height of her powers.

Link for Amazon downloads - http://bookgoodies.com/a/B00S1SMMIG

Link for Amazon books -  http://bookgoodies.com/a/1503014908

GIVEAWAY!

Use the Rafflecopter to gain entries—and be sure to follow the tour. The more posts you comment on, the more entries you will get into the drawing: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/chloe-thurlow/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

OR

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/8b9ec5be112/?

 CLICK HERE 

to visit other stops on this blog tour.

Friday Flirting Tips

Flirting is a subtle and not too serious aspect of romance. It is a basic instinct to want to charm the other sex.   However, flirting isn’t only for singles; just because you are in a committed relationship doesn’t mean you need to stop flirting with your honey.  Flash an unexpected smile at him and watch his eyes begin to twinkle as he smiles back.  Flirting can be fun and sexy.

Here are a few tips:

Body Language

• Throw sidelong glances frequently
• Prolonged eye contact -Eye contact is very essential at the time of flirting. It shows that you are confident about yourself.
• Arched eyebrows
• Winking
• Touch your neck or hair after looking at him
• Smiling - A smile not only breaks the ice and makes the atmosphere easy going, but also improves your face value.
• Licking of lips
• Touching the lips or teeth with tongue
• Any form of touching

Conversation

• Laughter
• Whispering
• Personal questions, everyone likes to talk about themselves
• Singling someone out in a group for conversation and questions

However if you are single and you flirt, keep in mind that flirting should indicate your interest in getting to know someone.   Flirting is designed to make the person you're flirting with feel attractive and special, not intimidated. The most important tip on flirting is BE YOURSELF.

Another Sweet Teaser from Elysium

As promised... here's your second teaser....

Will April ever be ready to love another man?

 Blurb:

Two years have passed since April Patterson’s husband was shot and killed in the line of duty, and she’s trapped in a haze of grief and uncertainty. Having grown frustrated by all other efforts to engage her in activities where she could meet new people, her cousin pays for a date via 1Night Stand. Not thrilled with the idea, April nevertheless contacts Madame Eve and requests the impossible: a date with her deceased husband.

Brilliant software engineer Drew Monroe created his company, Elysium, to help give closure to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, through the use of virtual reality. Though passionate about his work, being constantly surrounded by heartache and death has taken a toll on his mental health. When he accepts the case of a young widow referred to him by Madame Eve, her tragic tale depresses him further, but he commits himself to programming April the romantic date she desires.

April arrives at Elysium and prepares to enter Drew’s virtual realm. Will she find the solace she seeks within? Or will she discover she doesn’t need a fantasy world to discover happiness again?

Excerpt:

I came over to her in an effort to console her, and I doubted I’d even succeeded at that. In trying to offer her comfort, I’d contorted myself into an awkward position, trapping us between her chair and mine. The helmet she flung at me balanced on one leg, and my opposite elbow stuck out at an unnatural angle as I struggled to hold her in some sort of odd embrace. Terrific.

Her tears pooled on my upper arm, soaking through the shirt. “I’m sorry,” she kept repeating, her voice strained and muffled. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry….”

“No, I’m sorry.” My throat constricted, and for a second I thought I’d start crying with her. I grieved for a man I never met, and twinges of guilt tugged at my conscience as I thought about all the times I’d envied him. Coupled with the blatant shortcomings in operating Elysium’s software, I was not feeling very good about myself. “I’m sorry I let you down.” One arm tightened around her and shame pushed the next selfish words out. “I wanted to give you something no one else could. I wanted to let you be happy again.”

Little by little, April calmed down. She stopped shaking and her breathing slowed. Lifting her head, she stared at me with red-rimmed eyes. Something shifted within their gray depths, and she moved as if to stand. I expected her to disentangle herself from me and gather her belongings, but she leaned against the edge of the chair, wedging one knee between my thigh and the armrest. Before I could react, her hands were in my hair, her tongue was in my mouth, and she kissed me with a blazing intensity as if it was the last thing she’d ever do.

What?

Kiss her back, you idiot.

Without breaking contact, I tilted backward in the chair and set the virtual headset on the floor behind me. When I had both hands free, I grasped her waist and pulled her closer. Her lips were soft and inviting, and the taste of her tongue as she swirled it around mine hypnotized me. Could this really be happening?

I skimmed both palms over her sides and back. Her body was warm through her thin T-shirt, and I yearned to discover what her skin felt like beneath her clothing. Afraid to push too far too fast in case I broke whatever spell we were under, I settled for weaving my fingers through her long, smooth locks.

Any intentions I had of keeping our exploration innocent flew out the window when she climbed farther onto the chair. Straddling me, she gave my lower lip a sharp nibble, and I tried not to groan in response. Wrapping my arms around her, I lost myself to the fervor of our kiss. She had to have felt the expanding erection stirring beneath her.

She pulled away from me, her face flushed scarlet. “Oh my God,” she mumbled, clasping her hands over her mouth. “What is wrong with me?”

Are you hooked? Buy it now.

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