Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Thursday 13 - Reasons You Should Attend the Montrose Blueberry Festival


I live in a small community in Mid-Michigan and every year during the third weekend in August we host the Montrose Blueberry Festival. (Yes, we do have many places to pick berries!) But for those who have never attended our festival, here are a few reasons to zip into my town for a visit.

1. Blueberries… everything blueberries! Blueberry doughnuts at the Montrose Orchards. Blueberry ice cream at Carie's Caboose Yummy! Pie eating contest!


2. Blueberry pancake breakfast on Sat & Sun. We serve 4,000 hungry folks. The sausages are the kids favorites. My family has been working the breakfast for years, so come to it and I’ll take a break to chat. (If you have teen girls in your family, the Montrose Football team will be working on Sunday. wink, wink)

3. Medieval Village & Renaissance Faire. Montrose is Scottish for “mountain of roses”. In this hilly farming community, many wild roses grow around fields and in ditches. Celebrating our Scottish heritage along with members from the greater Renaissance Festival folk from the Shiabruck Medieval Village, we’ve put together an amazing village and faire. Stop by and meet my special friends, Gypsy and Hagrid. Gypsy made the original necklace Mike McAlister wears in my book "Lonely Soul".


4. The awesome parade. Saturday at 1:00. Find your spot after you've finished eatting your blueberry pancakes.

5. The Carnival and Midway are a blast! Lemonade, Rootbeer, and Elephant Ears.

6. Flea Market and craft show. I lose myself in there every year; the boys have to lure me out with chocolate.

7. Classic Car Show.

8. Mud Drag & Mud Bog for those who still enjoy playing in the mud.

9. Elf Khurafeh Shriners Pig Roast.

10. Live music and a karaoke contest. No way… you won’t hear me sing!

11. Softball Tournaments, horseshoes, Tug-of-War Challenge!

12. Montrose historical & Telephone Pioneer Museum will be open. FREE. Donations welcome.

13. Getting together with old and new friends in the beer tent. Live band.


And of course, this is a Romance Writer's Blog,
sooooooooo.....
there will be great opportunities to see some shirtless men!
This rural farming comuntiy produces some nice lookin' fellas.



Throughout the town and township, there are a ton of rummage sales offering wonderful treasures and parties galore! I hope many of you take a break from your busy schedule and visit. If I’m available, I’ll let you know where the best "goodies" are. Hugs!

Visit the Blueberry Website for more info.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Happy Humpday

Boys of fall are getting in shape.  Here's a little teaser to get you over the hump of the week.








Happy Humnpday!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Thursday Thirteen – 13 Reasons to Smile






1.       To show you’re happy.

2.       Like yawns, smiles are contagious.

3.       To do a simple act of kindness.

4.       Because you are wearing a new shade of lipstick.  (After all, a girl cannot have too many shades of lipstick.)

5.       You know your best girlfriend will tell you if you have something stuck in your teeth.

6.       Because that piece of chocolate cheesecake was amazing.

7.       You feel very blessed.

8.       You feel joy in your heart and love energizes you.  (Was that an oversized pink bunny that just went by?)

9.       If you smile enough, you’ll start to believe your face.

10.   You just took a deep breath and realized life is grand.

11.   Because happiness is the result of being too busy to be miserable.

12.   My favorite reason:  Always smile… because others will think you are up to something.  And maybe you are.

13.   Need I say more?




Visit Romance Writers Behaving Badly for today's T-13 list of Most Romantic Movie Kisses. CLICK HERE

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Humpday Help - 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.”

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Tasty Tuesday - A Matter of Lust



Blurb:

Trask is a lust demon on the hunt for a playmate, a human exceptional enough to sate some of his ravenous hunger. When he finds Rena, he knows that she is the one he must have. He makes it his business to seduce her.

Rena is immediately drawn to Trask. She could easily fall for the dangerously sexy bad boy who makes her scream every time he makes her come, but the problem with bad boys is that they’re actually bad. They break girls’ hearts and hers has been broken too many times already. One more crack might shatter it forever.

Trask claims Rena for his own, but she needs more than just sizzling sex. She wants to trust him, but can they ever share anything more than lust?



An Excerpt From: A MATTER OF LUST

Copyright © LISA FOX, 2012

All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.

Chapter One

The deep, melodic trance music vibrated through Trask’s body as he prowled the crowded dance floor. He was hungry, so very, very hungry, and the time had come for him to find a willing partner for the night. Any one of the mortals undulating around him would have sufficed, but so far none of them appealed to him. The need gnawed at his insides, but he waited, searching for the one. Over his long years among the humans, he’d learned that it always paid to be a little bit discriminating. It made the feast so much more gratifying.

He sidestepped around a young woman, his shoulder accidentally brushing against hers. He felt her body temperature rise as he passed, the lust that had been simmering just below the surface swelling to a fevered pitch within her. She grabbed her companion and kissed him ferociously, shamelessly rubbing herself against him. She wasn’t the only one affected by his presence either. Potent waves of raw sexual energy radiated from him, infecting the air around him, threatening to turn the club into one giant orgy. Trask smiled at the thought.

He cruised the dance floor, reveling in the exquisite thrill of his hunt. Human lust was such a decadent treat, so very different from the desperate lust of the damned in hell, and it filled this ordinarily dull world with brilliant light and added depth to the darkest shadows. He could feel it oozing from the dancers, the men and the women, sweating and panting, touching and grinding, their bodies writhing in time with the music. Tension built in his groin and he welcomed the pure, straining delight.

He stopped suddenly, the prickling at the base of his spine alerting him to the presence of another demon nearby. Not a lust demon like himself, but something similar. Pride maybe, or perhaps wrath? He couldn’t quite get a fix on it. He waited, wondering if it was going to make contact. Often other demons haunting and hunting the human realm wanted to meet, to plot and plan and scheme, to “raise some hell” or whatever, but he got the impression that it was occupied with something else entirely. Which was just fine with him. He’d never been the social sort.

The music changed and a thumping bass beat poured out of the speakers. Trask shook off the psychic residue of the other and worked his way toward the bar. He ordered a bourbon on the rocks and leaned back, happily absorbing the intoxicating atmosphere while scanning the crowd for his potential playmate.

His gaze fell upon a woman on the edge of the dance floor in a short, black dress that hugged every curve of her luscious body. Her violently dyed red hair was piled high on her head and sexy tendrils escaped to frame her heart-shaped face. There was a hint of rosy flush on her smooth, round cheeks and the way her hips swayed to the music made his cock stir.

Trask placed his drink aside and unconsciously ran his tongue over his teeth as he glided toward her. She was tall, probably close to six feet in her heels, but he still had to lean down to whisper close to her ear. “Hello,” he purred, breathing in her clean scent of shampoo and roses and woman.

She turned slowly toward him, her gaze roaming over his face, his body, and he got the distinct impression that she was mentally undressing him. He certainly hoped she was. She obviously liked what she saw because a smile blossomed on her glossy, pink lips. “Hi.”

The instant, piercing sexual tension between them made his blood surge. He reached out with a fine strand of psychic energy and lightly dipped into her primal core. Trask hissed as desire coiled in his groin. She was sweet ambrosia, a succulent feast just waiting to happen and his cock ached to sink inside her, to make her come again and again while he fed on all that glorious lust. “You are very beautiful,” he said, savoring the tiny taste of her fire.

“Uh-huh,” she said, mischief and humor making her eyes sparkle. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

Trask laughed. He liked this woman. “I think I might be in love with you,” he said, beginning the game. It was a line that had worked many times before—the humans always seemed enchanted and amused by the concept, but it was a hollow sentiment, something meant to elicit a grin and nothing more. But as the words left his mouth, they felt different this time, almost as if they had…weight.

“Are you sure it’s love you feel?” she asked, a smile dancing along the corners of her mouth. Her eyes flicked down to his crotch. “Or something else entirely?”

“Now I know I’m in love,” he replied, the lust coursing through his veins. She was perfect. Fun. Bold. Smoking hot. And she was going to be his. All night long. He reached out and traced the curve of her cheek with his index finger. Her skin was flawless, warm and silky. “What’s your name?”

She paused and an odd, little smile formed on her lips. “Does it matter?”

Normally it wouldn’t matter—in fact, there was no reason why it should matter, but for some reason it did matter. It mattered a lot. “Yes.”

Her smile changed, softened, and Trask was awestruck by just how simply beautiful she was. “Rena. My name is Rena.”

“Rena.” He liked the way it rolled off his tongue.

“And what about you?” she asked, leaning closer to him. He looked straight down into her very ample cleavage and took his time enjoying that magnificent view. His fingers itched to caress that soft skin, to feel the weight of her full, round breasts in his hands. “Do you have a name? Or should I just call you the sexy Darkman of my dreams?”

“I do like the sound of that.” He wondered if his presence was affecting her, making her more daring than she’d normally be or if this was just her nature. He had the power to inspire humans to say and do outrageous things simply by standing beside them. His gaze touched on her flamboyant red hair and he thought—hoped—that it was her and not a consequence of his influence. “But Trask is so much shorter and to the point.”

“Trask,” she said, and he had to admit, he liked the way his name sounded on her lips. He couldn’t wait to hear her scream it. Her eyes trailed over him, her gaze a provocative caress that sent hot, tingling ripples down his spine. “So, now that you’ve declared your love, what happens next?”

“Oh, you know, the usual.” He caught hold of a loose strand of her hair and twined it around his fingers. The tension between them rocketed up a few notches and he inhaled the essence of her arousal, breathing it deep into his body, relishing the flavor of her. “A whirlwind romance, storybook marriage, honeymoon in Paris.”
“Followed swiftly by a quickie divorce in Mexico, right?”

Her voice was tinged with unmistakable venom and the bitterness sliced through the hazy, plush cloud of their lust. Startled by the mental slap in the face, Trask dropped his hand back to his side. Darkness deepened around him as anger settled in. He did not like this turn of events at all. “What makes you think I’d do anything quick with you?”

“I see,” she said, and he watched her features soften as her mood shifted. Humans were so extraordinarily complex. He didn’t think he’d ever understand their ability to feel so much, so quickly and thoroughly, even when those emotions were completely contradictory. Demons were defined by their desires, embodiments of the thing they hungered after. There was never a reason for a demon to feel anything more than his driving need. Everything else just got in the way of the goal.

Her bitterness ebbed away, gone almost as quickly as it had come, and she favored him with a dazzling, flirtatious smile. “You’re a slow-and-steady kind of guy then?”
“Oh yes,” he said, returning her grin. “And I always win in the end.”

She laughed, a lovely, musical sound that tugged at his insides. She leaned into him, a whisper of space between them and he could feel the heat of her body on his skin. “Hmm,” she said, and bit down on her lower lip. Her fingers flitted over his collarbone. “I do like confidence.”
He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. “Then you’re definitely going to like me.”




About the Author:

World-renowned neurosurgeon, jet fighter pilot, secret member of American royalty, seducer of legions of beautiful, outrageously sexy angels and demons and vampires and werewolves and the occasional pirate, Lisa Fox has done it all…in her own mind. In reality, she can generally be found at her desk with a cup of coffee close at hand. Or maybe a martini. It really depends on the day.
Feedback, comments, opinions, words of wisdom, chocolate cake and the addresses of super hot men are always appreciated and encouraged. Please feel free to contact Lisa any time.
Twitter: @LisaFoxRomance




Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tuesday Teaser - For My Master


Agent Kathie Belmont has long lusted after her boss, Ross Guerrero, but has never plucked up the courage to even flirt with him. Could he be the strong but tender Master she craves?

Ross wants Kathie in his life—on her knees. But the constraints of their jobs with an ultra-secret US security agency have come between them.

Then the sadistic drug trafficker El Silencio is tempted into a deal with Ross’s undercover persona—a deal that will go down at a BDSM party. With Kathie disguised as his sex slave, Ross sets out to bring down the criminal gang, and perhaps to tempt Kathie into performing her role for him…forever.






*****






*****

Best-selling, award-winning author Sue Swift, a.k.a Suz deMello, has written over fifteen novels, plus several short stories and non-fiction articles. She writes in numerous genres including romance, mystery, paranormal, historical, contemporary comedy and erotica. She’s a freelance editor who’s worked for Total-E-Bound, Ai Press, Liquid Silver Books and Etopia Press. She also takes on private clients.


Her books have been favorably reviewed in PW, Kirkus and Booklist, attained the finals of the RITA and reached the top ten on a bestseller list.


A former trial attorney, she resides in northern California. Her passion is world travel, and she’s left the US over a dozen times, including stints working overseas for many months. Right now, she's working on her next manuscript and planning her next trip.


Her blog is at http://www.fearlessfastpacedfiction.com. Find her reading picks @ReadThis4fun on Twitter, and befriend her on Facebook . Her sites are at http://www.sue-swift.com and http://www.suzdemello.com.





Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Free Summer Read - Off the Shelf


Off the Shelf – An Erotic Romance Novella – is FREE on Amazon!

Yes, you heard right! Lucy Felthouse's erotic romance novella, Off the Shelf, is FREE on Amazon for a limited time.

From 11th – 15th July ONLY, you will be able to download this hot erotic romance to your Kindle without spending a penny.

Already convinced? Grab it here:

Need more convincing? Here's more about the book:

At 35, travel writer Annalise is fed up with insensitive comments about being left on the shelf. It’s not as if she doesn’t want a man, but her busy career doesn’t leave her much time for relationships. Sexy liaisons with passing acquaintances give Annalise physical satisfaction, but she needs more than that. She wants a man who will satisfy her mind as well as her body. But where will she find someone like that? It seems Annalise may be in luck when a new member of staff starts working in the bookshop at the airport she regularly travels through. Damien appears to tick all the boxes; he’s gorgeous, funny and intelligent, and he shares Annalise’s love of books and travel. The trouble is, Damien’s shy and Annalise is terrified of rejection. Can they overcome their fears and admit their feelings, or are they doomed to remain on the shelf?

And a saucy excerpt to get you going...

Pushing the ‘on’ button, Annalise moved the vibrator down between her parted legs and eased it inside her eager pussy. As the ears of the Rampant Rabbit slid into position on her clit, she groaned with pleasure and rolled her hips, desperate to get more delicious friction. Then she pressed another button on the toy’s control panel to ramp up the power another notch. As much as she’d prefer a slower build-up to her orgasm, she just didn’t have the time. She had to leave for the airport in a couple of hours, and she hadn’t even packed her case. A quick knee-trembler would have to suffice.

As the vibrator buzzed away between her thighs, Annalise closed her eyes and tried to empty her mind of anything but the pleasure she was experiencing. After a brief flirtation with the thought that she’d much prefer a hot man between her legs bringing her to orgasm, Annalise simply enjoyed the feeling of her impending climax. The busily-vibrating bunny ears pressed tightly against her sensitive flesh soon had her pussy fluttering. Then, without warning, Annalise was quickly yanked onto her pleasure plateau and immediately pushed off, leaving her writhing and shouting on the bed as a powerful orgasm overtook her body.

Annalise arched her back as waves of pleasure crashed over her, and her cunt clenched and grabbed at the toy buried deep inside. Her swollen clit throbbed, quickly becoming too sensitive for the unrelenting stimulation from the vibrator. Switching it off and pulling out, Annalise dropped the toy onto the mattress by her side and gave a satisfied moan as she rode out the remainder of her climax. Finally, when the twitches and spasms had abated and her heart rate and breathing were almost back to normal, Annalise grabbed the Rabbit and rolled across to the side of her bed where the toy box was kept. She made short but thorough work of cleaning it, then reluctantly put it in its case, popped it into the small bedside cupboard and shut the door.

Annalise hated leaving her favourite toy behind when she went away, but she just wasn’t brave enough to take it with her. She usually only took carry-on luggage, and the very thought of the distinctive shape of the Rampant Rabbit popping up on the screen of the airport scanners made her shudder. It would be bad enough for the staff to see it on their monitors, knowing what it was and giving her knowing looks; imagine what would happen if they decided to check inside her bags! She would want to curl up and die of embarrassment, she just knew it.

No, it was much better off staying here. She could make do with her right hand for a few days. Even better, she might even meet someone. Annalise smiled. She’d had some pretty steamy encounters on her travels. The desk clerk in Dubai, the gym manager in Turkey, the waiter in Corfu…

Annalise shook herself. This wasn’t the time to let her mind wander down that path and get herself all worked up. She had to go and get ready now. There’d be plenty of time for daydreaming later, when she was in long and boring queues, and on the flight.

So go on, what are you waiting for? Bag your copy quick, while it's FREE! And if you like it, be sure to leave a review for others to read.



*****

Lucy is a graduate of the University of Derby, where she studied Creative Writing. During her first year, she was dared to write an erotic story - so she did. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Constable and Robinson, Decadent Publishing, Evernight Publishing, House of Erotica, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Resplendence Publishing, Summerhouse Publishing, Sweetmeats Press and Xcite Books. She is also the editor of Uniform Behaviour, Seducing the Myth, Smut by the Sea and Smut in the City. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Tasty Tuesday - A Sample of Reluctant Romance


Reluctant Romance: Guys and Guys by Various Authors

Sometimes true love is reluctant to blossom and needs a little bit of coaxing in order to come out. But a strong will and a heart filled with determination will triumph every time! The authors of the Bigger Briefs present to you these m/m tales of lovers who just need a gentle prod to push them into the relationship they’ve been yearning for.

Available from:
Amazon UK


*****  EXCERPT *****
While Zane showered, Neil picked up the living area and called in for a pizza to be delivered. He’d changed his mind; he didn’t want to go out. What he wanted was privacy. Zane had just joined him in the living area when the pizza guy showed up. Neil quickly paid him as Zane got them plates.

“Where do you want to eat?”
Zane shrugged. “In the living area is fine. I just usually sit in the couch.”

They ate in silence. He noticed that Zane acted like he hadn’t eaten in a month. Once they were finished, Neil moved closer to Zane on the couch, laying his arm behind Zane’s head.








“Okay, spill it. I want to know what’s the deal with you. You never leave to go to work, you shut yourself up in here for days on end, and you refuse to commit to me. No more, Zane. I can’t take it.”



Zane stared at Neil, then he stood up. “Maybe it would be easier to just show you.”

He led Neil to one of the bedrooms he kept closed. Opening the door, he stood to the side and waved his arm. “Everything you want to know is in there.” Then he turned away and went back to the living area.
Neil walked in the room. Covering one entire wall of the room were photographs. No, not photographs, covers—book covers. Covers he recognized. A laptop sat open on a desk and on it were endless paragraphs. A multi-purpose printer sat to one side. Notebooks, paper, and books lined a bookshelf. A mini-fridge sat in a corner and a coffee maker was close to the desk. Awards were all over the walls. Shocked, Neil took in the office—an author’s office. One of the biggest named authors’ office. His heart stuttered in his chest. Zane was the gay male author Sivad… which was his last name, Davis, spelled backwards.

“Dear Lord.”
Stumbling out the door, he found Zane on the couch, head in his heads. “So, now you know who I am.”


Neil sank down on the couch next to him. “Why’d you hide this? Why do you act like this is something to be ashamed of? Zane, you have a God given talent, and nothing—do you hear me—nothing to be ashamed of!”

Zane raised his head, meeting Neil’s eyes. “I’m not ashamed of being gay, or of what I write, in either career. But I kept them separate because I knew mainstream publishers would flip if they knew. Homophobia is alive and well, don’t think it’s not. I was dumped by some of those very same publishers when word got out.” 
Neil took Zane’s hands, holding them tightly. “What happened?”


Taking a deep breath, Zane held it for a second, then released it. “Long story short, I caught my boyfriend of two years in bed with another man. I kicked his ass out. Pissed that he lost his free meal—me—he outed me. He knew what could happen—fact is, he did it to hurt me. Some of the mainstream publishers told me I needed to go elsewhere, and they were not very nice about it either. They were horrified that I wrote what they called gay porn.”

Monday, July 9, 2012

We have a winner!


Thank you to all who hopped around on this hot blog tour. 
 Special thanks to thoses who left vomments on my Handuffs post.


Viari Rose 
won a free download of Handcuffs & Silk