Monday, January 6, 2014

Monday Mojo - Drool worthy cover art



More and more romance writers are creating tattooed heroes
thus putting a demand on cover designers to create the visual.
Cover featuring popular model, John Quinlan
 
To illustrate John Quinlan would be to paint a picture involving some athletics, professional wrestling, fitness and modeling. He’s been an image model for dozens of apparel brands around the world over the years, along with appearing in television documentaries, commercials, art gallery print work and many book covers. AND NOW carries the title of The World’s Most Tattooed Cover Model.


Regarding the tattoos, John says:  
I just don’t get a tattoo because I want to get it on the spur of the moment. I have put lots of time and thought into each and every piece. I do have one that is very low on my left abdomen which is very close to the “goods” which is the Oriental Kanji symbol for ‘Courage’. Courage, front and center, is very important and this is why it is placed front and center on my body.
 

“John, is an example that tattooed bald guys can be sexy.”   – Margie Church, Best Selling Author
 

 
Need some more inspiration?
 
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 200lbs
Neck: 17"
Chest: 46"
Eye color: Green 
 
Join me tomorrow for my interview with John.
Let's discover the real man behind the handsome face.
 

http://assets.modelmayhem.com/images/spacer.gif?2013121000



Special thanks to Claudia McKinney 
of Phatpuppy Creations for giving permission to use her images in this interview.  
http://assets.modelmayhem.com/images/spacer.gif
   
http://assets.modelmayhem.com/images/spacer.gif


http://assets.modelmayhem.com/images/spacer.gif
 
http://assets.modelmayhem.com/images/spacer.gif
http://assets.modelmayhem.com/images/spacer.gif?2013121000
 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, January 3, 2014

Baby, It’s Cold Outside Blog Hop - Jan. 3-5



Here’s a little tease from a work in progress, Eagle Dance. This book is part of a collection of Native American shifter stories that take place in a sweet little log cabin on Cherry Lane, at the Mountain Castillo Resort. The scene opens with our couple arriving at the cabin with some takeout pizza and other “necessities” for some hot romance on a cold winter night. I’ve taken the liberty of breaking the excerpt into smaller tid-bits to wet your appetite.

*This is from a WIP/not professionally edited*

She hated storms of any kind. He held her hand while effortlessly plowing through the storm. The simple gesture spoke fathoms. He pointed out the splendor of nature cloaked in a blanket of snow. Within moments, his deep voice lulled her nerves.

After traveling down a winding lane deeper into the woods, they found the cabin. Trudging through a foot of snow from the truck they found seasoned wood stacked neatly on the quaint porch. She carried their dinner while he brought in their overnight bags. Burgundy drapes covered the windows lining log walls. Hardwood floors covered with Turkish rugs and woodland décor gave the place a cozy atmosphere. River rock formed the new fireplace and chimney. A bar made from logs and rock graced one end of the room with a small refrigerator located underneath.

She slid the pizza box on the coffee table, set the bag of syrups on the counter then placed the ice cream in the tiny freezer. Hanging her coat on a hook behind the door, she slipped off her boots onto a matt. A fruit and cheese basket including two bottles of wine rested on the bar. Picking up a note, she quickly scanned it.

“The basket is from Madame Eve.” She noticed Dyami paused from building a fire to listen as she read. “Take a step into the past before you dance into the future. There is not greater feeling in the world than moving together to a piece of music and letting the world around you disappear; except for looking into the soul of your partner and seeing yourself.”

“For some reason she reminds me of a shaman.” He shook his head.

“Yeah, this makes her sound like a real mystical lady.” She put the odd message down and picked up the bottles. “Do you prefer red or white?”

“Let’s start with the red.” He shucked off his coat and wet boots, then proceeded to light the fire. “The white might be sweeter and perfect for later.”

Her body trembled with anticipation of what later would entail. “Would that be before or after dessert?”

He kept his back to her and answered with a deep chuckle. Squatting over the hearth, his baggy pants pulled tight over his thighs and revealed a squeezable butt. Biting her lip in frustration, she turned her attention to their dinner. The man oozed sexual aura. On the other hand, something about him seemed familiar. 

A click of the stereo launched music creating a melody with crackling flames, she swayed her hips in rhythm. She opened the wine. Dyami stood behind her and set two glasses on the table next to the open pizza box.

Without a word, he slid his hands around her waist and moved with her. Leaning into him, he drew her into his arms. He nuzzled her neck sending shivers of excitement along her spine.

“Do you like to dance?”

“I love to.” She turned to face him and rested her hands on his chest. “When I was a little girl, I’d dance with my dad by standing on his feet. Now I can’t find a dance partner tall enough.”

“I think we are a perfect fit.” He pulled her tight to emphasize the truth to his words.

His voice dropped and the richness struck a chord of arousal. A faint aroma of musk tempted her to kiss him. His soft lips responded to hers with the casualness if they’ve kissed hundreds of times.

Under her palms, his heartbeat echoed hers. He picked up the beat of the music. She followed his lead and slid her arms around his neck. Catching one hand in his, he led her into a dance. She floated on air until the song finished. He stopped and his hands gripped her waist. His pale eyes sparkled in the firelight.

“I would like nothing more than to continue dancing with you, but I’m starving.” His voice deep with regret reminded her of the pizza cooling on the table.



Moral to the story: when it’s cold outside warm up with pizza, wine and dancing with your honey.



Dyami Schafer is a Chippewa Eagle shifter.
Stay tuned for a release date on Dyami and Amanda’s story, Eagle Dance.
 
Here's a little eye candy...

 

Feel free to enjoy Seth and Lucy’s story in Crow Magic, the same little cabin but in warmer weather.

Now available. Click here to buy or read an excerpt.

Join the fun of Baby, It's Cold Outside Blog Tour
for a chance to win a FREE Download of Crow Magic.


Brought to readers and book lovers by JustRomance.me

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Thursday 13 - Sexy New Year's Resolutions

So many New Year Resolutions are made and quickly forgotten. Not only are these promises easily forgotten when we are caught up in the hustle of everyday life, but also we can forget about the love in our lives. Try making a few resolutions that won't be forgotten and easily obtainable. Make your relationship with that special someone a priority, put pleasure first on your resolution list.

1.  Plan to have more sex. We schedule time to shop, get our hair done, and take the kids to soccer... Being spontaneous is not always easy and by some simple plans to be more sexual, you'll actually end up having more sex. 


2. Get away from it all. Send the kids away for the weekend or escape for a night alone. Grab a movie, dinner and a romp in a cheap hotel. Use this time to NOT talk about family, friends or work. Focus on each other.


3. Do some redecorating in the bedroom. Our surrounding have a significant impact on how we feel. Turn your bedroom into a sensual room. Add some sexy satins, new pillows, mirrors, incense or candles, artwork to create an environment to bring out your sexual animal.


4.  Exercise more. I'm talkin' the horizontal mambo three /four times a week. Not only are calories being burned in a super fun way, but with each orgasmic session your endorphins (the chemical in your brain that makes you happy) will do miracles for your mood and zest for life!


5. Stop the sensory deprivations. Get off the computer; turn off the cell phone, put down the e-reader. It's time to get your hands into life! Cook with your honey and savor every tasty moment. Inhale life's scents and enjoy the fragrance of the world around you whether it is a sensual perfume or the way the air smells after a rain shower. Gaze into your partner's eyes and drown in the lipid pools of desire.  


6. Save your money and give each other full body massages. Invest in some scented massage candles and let your inhibitions fly out the window. Pick up some edible massage oil. Don't leave out the happy ending!


7. Eat in bed. Whipped cream, chocolate body paint, honey dust! Decadent and suggestive foods coupled with steamy sex make a rather delicious combination.


8. Make food a sensual part of your life. Forget the chips and go for the juicy, creamy and succulent stuff. Fresh strawberries, ripe peaches, and bananas can be cut into bite sizes. Finger food can be very sensual; take your time eating to experience the textures and flavors. Savoring food can be great practice for savoring sex.


10.  Make yourself feel sexier every day. Go through your panty drawer and buy yourself some new sexier styles. Lose the flannels, the old rugby jersey and stop lounging about with holey socks. Try some sexy silk pajamas or simple lingerie you can wear under your clothes. Treating yourself to sexier underclothes will help you tap into your sexy side. Indulge in a new fragrance that makes your partner hot. Wax, shave, work out... whatever makes you feel good about yourself and sexy.


11.  Have an affair - with your partner of course!  Here's your chance to have fun with a sexual fantasy.    Share your fantasies with each other or create one together then act on them.  Dress  as a seductive stranger and meet at a secret location, hotel, or bar.  Have fun with costumes, they can be just what you need to get started.


12.  Get back to the basics.  Rediscover the art of kissing.  Spend a night simply "making out".  Just be careful if you go "parking".  Be open and honest with your partner by sharing what really turns you on.  Be romantic by leaving notes with hints and sexy suggestions where your honey will find them.  Take time to explore each other's bodies to learn likes and dislikes.  Be open to pleasure.


13.  Be more playful and creative.    Try something sexually new.  Play with sex toys.  Visit a swingers' club.  Get a book on sexual positions and try all of them at least once.  For a more spiritual sex life, study Kama Sutra.  Take a class on strip tease or belly dancing.  Pick up a couple sex games and play.  Feel free to visit your local adult store, the staff is very discreet and helpful.
CLICK HERE for more Thursday 13 from some amazing authors.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Humpday Hottie - Happy New Year

Today's Humpday Hottie wishes you a Happy New Year.

Please spend the new year helping those who need it most.
Donate and/or volunteer at your local animal shelter/rescue.
 
 

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Tasty Tuesday - New Years Eve Dinner for Two


 
So, you’ve decided to skip the crowds and spend New Year’s Eve at home with your honey. These suggestions should go well with most types of champagne (in general, when serving champagne, it’s best to stick with lightly spiced Cantonese cuisine, particularly seafood dishes). If you’re serving wine, a German Riesling would be a good choice.


Start with some Spring Rolls as an appetizer. Feel free to nibble on them with some wine while preparing the main dish together.


Main Dish – Shrimp in Lobster Sauce

Ingredients:

  • Fresh shrimp, deveined and butterflied, 10 - 15 per person
  • 4 to 8 spring onion (green onions, scallions), chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, chopped or minced
  • 2 cups of chicken stock (2 cups water with chicken bouillon powder, or chicken broth)
  • 4 tablespoons of sweet white wine, such as sweet Glen Ellen White Zinfandel
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons of Cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water
  • 4 egg whites, beaten with 1/4 cup of water
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir-frying
  • 1 to 2 cups pork fried rice (1 cup for 2 people, 2 cups for 3 or more)
  •  

Preparation:

Rinse the shrimp in warm water and pat dry. Rinse the spring onions, drain and chop. Chop or mince the garlic cloves.
Combine the chicken stock, white wine, soy sauce, and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into 1/2 cup water. Whisk the egg whites into 1/4 cup water and set aside.
  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok, large pot, or frying pan or skillet on medium high to high heat.
Stir fry the garlic and spring onions for about 30 seconds to a minute, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add the shrimp and stir fry for 2 minutes.
Add the chicken broth mixture, bring to a boil and boil about 1 minute.
Re-stir the cornstarch and water mixture and stir it into broth. Immediately afterward, slowly pour in the egg whites, breaking them up by gently stirring them with a fork (the author recommends stirring them twice across and then twice across again in a tic tack toe pattern). Be careful not to over stir the egg whites.
 
The dish is ready when the sauce begins to boil and thicken. Serve over the pork fried rice and steamed Snow Peas.
Be sure to have some Fortune Cookies for after the meal.

 


 

Monday, December 30, 2013

Monday Mojo - Time to get out of the pajamas?

Here it is...
the Monday between the holidays.
 
Who wants to get out of their pajamas?
Meet John Quinlan,
the most tattooed male romance cover model in the world.
 
If you want more of this hottie,
join me next week when I interview him!
 
We'll start on Monday to give you a dose of Mojo and run all week!

Pajamas optional.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Shirtless Sunday

Some of my writer friends started doing a Shirtless Sunday on Facebook and Twitter.
I couldn't be left out!
Gotta love Reggie Bush's sweet smile.
Yep, I'm watching the Lions play today!
Whoot-whoot!

Baby, It's Cold Outside Blog Hop Coming Soon!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Blog Hop Coming!

Get ready for a great blog hop coming your way
from Just Romance Me and a bunch of your favorite authors.
 Baby, It's Cold Outside Blog Hop
January 3-5

Monday, December 23, 2013

Monday Mistletoe


"The mistletoe is hung up near a doorway or in the kitchen and young men have the privilege of kissing girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases."
The tradition of kissing under the mistletoe is one of my favorites and I believe a lot of kissing under the mistletoe has been going on for ages.  In today's tradition the part about plucking the berries (which, incidentally, are poisonous), and then all kissing under the mistletoe ends when the berries run out!
As a little girl, my mother told me how a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year.

I found references of "kissing under the mistletoe" in Celtic rituals and Norse mythology. In Gaul, the land of the Celts, for instance, the Druids considered it a sacred plant. It was believed to have medicinal qualities and mysterious supernatural powers.  (Hmm... I wonder what kind of "power" I would have if I wear a piece of mistletoe on my coat.  After all... I am Scandinavian.)
The Norse myth of Baldur. Baldur's death and resurrection is one of the most fascinating Norse myths and stands at the beginning of the history of mistletoe as a "kissing" plant.
Baldur's mother was the Norse goddess, Frigga. When Baldur was born, Frigga made each and every plant, animal and inanimate object promise not to harm Baldur. But Frigga overlooked the mistletoe plant -- and the mischievous god of the Norse myths, Loki, took advantage of this oversight.
Ever the prankster, Loki tricked one of the other gods into killing Baldur with a spear fashioned from mistletoe. The demise of Baldur, a vegetation deity in the Norse myths, brought winter into the world, although the gods did eventually restore Baldur to life.
After which Frigga pronounced the mistletoe sacred,
 ordering that from now on it should bring love rather than death into the world.

Happily complying with Frigga's wishes, any two people passing under the plant from now on would celebrate Baldur's resurrection by kissing under the mistletoe.
I have my mistletoe hanging. 
Do you?
 
 
 

it a sacred plant. It was believed to have medicinal qualities and mysterious supernatural powers.  (Hmm... I wonder what kind of "power" I would have if I wear a piece of mistletoe on my coat.  After all... I am Scandinavian.)

The Norse myth of Baldur. Baldur's death and resurrection is one of the most fascinating Norse myths and stands at the beginning of the history of mistletoe as a "kissing" plant.

Baldur's mother was the Norse goddess, Frigga. When Baldur was born, Frigga made each and every plant, animal and inanimate object promise not to harm Baldur. But Frigga overlooked the mistletoe plant -- and the mischievous god of the Norse myths, Loki, took advantage of this oversight.
Ever the prankster, Loki tricked one of the other gods into killing Baldur with a spear fashioned from mistletoe. The demise of Baldur, a vegetation deity in the Norse myths, brought winter into the world, although the gods did eventually restore Baldur to life. After which Frigga pronounced the mistletoe sacred, ordering that from now on it should bring love rather than death into the world.

Happily complying with Frigga's wishes, any two people passing under the plant from now on would celebrate Baldur's resurrection by kissing under the mistletoe.

I have my mistletoe hanging. 
Do you?