Saturday, December 28, 2013

Midnight kiss blog hop

I'm thrilled to be part of Gemini Girls midnight kiss blog hop. http://www.GeminiGirls.com/hop
There are prizes galore to be had including the grand prize - a $25 book voucher from Liquid Silver Books!













What could be better than a midnight kiss?
Er... chocolate, a mojito, diamonds - oops - distracted there. Of course a midnight kiss beats everything hands down. No, not hands down there!

One thing that I feel is very important when I'm writing is to make that first kiss perfect and I'd like to share the first kiss in Strangers - my most popular and probably my favourite book!

                                        * * * * * * * * * *

His hands moved to her hips, pulling her against him. When Charlie buried his face in her neck and felt her soft, warm lips on his shoulder, he was swept away in a flash flood of desire. He slid his hands up the sides of her body, curved them around her neck, tipped up her chin and kissed her.
Charlie’s first kisses were always the same, the oft-practiced light brushing of lips, allowing him to taste a woman, letting her taste him.
Not this time.
He was as tormented with desire as if he’d been a schoolboy offered his first chance to snog a girl. He hovered on the verge of implosion, explosion, complete bloody destruction.
Too hungry for slow, too desperate for gentle, he kissed Kate as if it were the last thing he’d ever do. If she’d shown the slightest resistance, he thought he might have cried, but he knew she felt the same. Their tongues invaded each other’s mouths, twisting together, surging, discovering. His mind reeled with the scent of her, the taste of her, the feel of her, and Charlie growled deep in his throat like some sort of animal. It bloody scared him, but he couldn’t help it. Neither of them breathed.
When their lips slid apart, their eyes wide, they gasped simultaneously and rested their heads side by side, ear to ear, panting in unison.
“Fuck, fuck. Are you okay?” Charlie whispered.
“No.”
“Me neither.” He was in imminent danger of coming in his pants. His balls had drawn up to the base of his cock and had started their telltale tingle. Shit, from a kiss? Women didn’t know how lucky they were. If they came fast, everyone was happy. If men came too soon, everyone was disappointed.
He pressed his forehead against hers and they stood for several moments not doing anything other than holding each other while they dragged their breathing back under control. This was different. She was different.
“What are you thinking?” he asked. Had he ever asked a woman that? Not something he needed to do because he always knew what they were thinking.
Not with Kate.
“That I’ve never been kissed before,” she whispered.
Charlie pulled back and gave her a bemused look. “I’m the first guy to kiss you? What was Dickhead playing at?”

“No, you’re the first guy to kiss me.” 




And a couple of kissy pictures!




This is grandson learning how to kiss - he has a way to go!


This is daughter just after boyfriend asked her to marry him!


For one lucky or unlucky commentator depending how you look at it, I'd like to offer an ecopy of Strangers or any other book from my back list. Please include your email address in your comment! That's how the blog organisers will be notifying the winners.

For more chances to win ebooks and the Liquid Silver voucher - please visit

http://www.GeminiGirls.com/hop







Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Merry Christmas!

Or Happy Holidays! Some pictures to celebrate the season!

This is the roof of our orangery! A visit from Jack Frost.


And again - it was so pretty!


A tree in Highlands Park - in Dallas


I wish this was my house - this is also in Highlands Park.


The lights were stunning.


Son's apartment in Dallas - Charlotte and Winnie ready for Santa!


Thank you to all my readers! Thank you to all my reviewers - even if you didn't like my books - I appreciate your comments (most of them!) and a huge thank you to my beta readers - Arlene, Pam, Rita, Laurie, Dawn, Bob, Paul. I hope I've not missed anyone out! 

Friday, December 13, 2013

Competitions, contests and me

I don't enter my books into contests, competitions etc because I hate to lose. Oh no, rewind that, I didn't mean to say that, but actually, when I think about it, I DO hate to lose. Damn that competitive spirit. But I do have an issue with books, covers etc in competitions. Unlike a maths exam where you rise and fall on your own merits against a fixed outcome, that can never be true with any artistic endeavour. Because of course, it's all subjective. A cover one will love, another will hate. A painting adored by one will be decried by another. A story one finds compelling, another will find boring. So when you enter your pride and joy in a contest you're already up against it.





So who judges? Readers? A team of reviewers? Fellow authors? Artists? Probably all of those. I have entered a few contests in the past. One for BRAVA - just a start to a story and got nowhere, though I did get that story published soon after. I also entered a contest on All Romance ebooks - where I wrote a short story that went into a voting system and gradually numbers of entries were whittled down by the number of votes they got in their section. Maybe in another section, a story could have got through. Who knows? I read some super stories that didn't make it through and some poor ones that did. It turned so quickly into - how many friends do I have that I can convince to vote for me? Once I'd implored my friends in the ARe contest, I swore never to do it again and I never have.

I noticed that I have a few books and a cover in a GR readers' poll. I looked by chance and saw them. I haven't put them forward myself, some kind reader - readers did. Thank you so much if you are reading this. It means something special to me when others put my work forward, rather than me. And although I won't solicit votes, I would of course be delighted to win. But that's not going to happen - purely because I won't plead with every person I know to vote for me. Oops - now it looks like I'm saying that the one that wins will be the one with the most friends and not necessarily the one with the best book. Doesn't matter. There IS no best book. There can't be. It's impossible to judge fairly no matter what level of competition. Even the Booker Prize causes controversy because the judges have different views.

So - no competitions for me. I think my dislike of them goes back to my childhood. My mother was very pushy and wanted me to do well in everything. Puts a lot of pressure on a child. She made me learn the piano but I refused to do exams in that. She made me take elocution lessons and I was forced to do exams in that. Add all the revising for school exams and I began to rebel against the very idea of  competition because to me - there are too many losers. Life is competitive enough.



Sunday, December 1, 2013

Holiday reader ebook giveaway!!!!





From the first to the 15th December - you have a chance to win a whole load of holiday books. The more times you enter, the better chance you have to win. Jessica Subject will be selecting the winner on the 16th and then each author will send their copy to the winner. 




These are the books you can win!

Her Deviant Lord by Layna Pimentel (PDF, EPUB, or MOBI)
A Ghost for Christmas and 69 Mustang by Kacey Hammell (winner's choice)
Keir by Pippa Jay (winner's choice)
The Princess and the Prepper by Barbara Elsborg (winner's choice)
Hide & Seek by Valerie Mann (PDF)
I'll Be Mated for Christmas by Rebecca Royce (PDF)
The Copper and the Madam by Karyn Gerrard (EPUB)
Fool's Gold by Cassandra Dean (EPUB, PRC, or PDF)
The Pilot by Diane Burton (Smashwords coupon)
Santa's Sleeping Beauty by Lisa Fox (winner's choice)
A Knight Before Christmas by Alicia Dean (Amazon or B&N)
Marry Christmas, Baby by Jane Kent (PDF)
Sex Boot Camp by Paisley Brown (ARe)

Friday, November 29, 2013

Please welcome Sofia Grey to my blog!



A Welsh Wolf in Wellington blog tour



Foxglove

Since most of Sasha’s story takes place in Wellington, the compact and thriving capital city of New Zealand. I though it would be fun to feature a different part of the city – especially those mentioned in the book – on each tour ‘stop’. Come and join me on a truly unique virtual tour of Wellington J




Foxglove is a recent addition to the Waterfront area. A high end, but unpretentious bar & restaurant, it’s as popular during the day as it is at night. In the summer, it’s a great place to sit outside and watch the boats in the harbour. In winter, grab a seat upstairs and look at the city lights spread out in the distance.




Foxglove is one of those places that has a ‘vibe’. An undercurrent of something that most people outwardly ignore, while just accepting they like being there.
Megan enjoys drinking at Foxglove with her friends. The widely held reason is because it’s central for a lot of Wellington’s night life, but underneath, she feels the pull. It’s not a shifter bar, but it definitely has something going on. Maybe one day I’ll find out…




Excerpt:

In this extract, Megan is waiting to meet her friends at Foxglove, when Sasha finds her:

Sasha braced himself for the explosion he knew was coming. Jake was going to be beyond angry. As he prepared to make the call, his phone buzzed with a new message: Jake requests FaceTime. Nu-huh. He declined and dialed Jake’s number instead.
“What’s going on, Sash?”

“I’m nearly there, Cuz, just got delayed.” He hastened his footsteps. “Can you ask them to hang on? Got to go, I’ll update you later.” He terminated the call and switched off the phone. With luck, Jake would pacify the Kiwi wolves, he'd make the meeting and recover from tonight's monster fuck-up.

He’d only gone a short distance when he scented her again. Megan. His wolf pricked up his ears and scratched at him. She was close and Sasha hesitated. If he delayed any further he’d only be compounding the level of trouble he’d be in. Fuck it. Two minutes wouldn’t hurt. Just to check she was okay.

He found her standing just inside the doorway to a sprawling trendy bar, with her back leaning against the doorframe, head bent and the evening sun casting fiery sparks through her hair. She spoke brightly into her phone, one finger absently playing with the hem of her shiny top while she chattered. The fabric draped softly over her gorgeous curves and Sasha couldn’t drag his eyes away. Leggy blondes were overrated. He now had a passion for curvy brunettes, and this one in particular.

~
A Handful Of Wolf  is available 25 November 2013, from Liquid Silver Books.



Sasha's not a looking-to-the-future kind of guy, but he's made an exception with his plans to travel and meet lots of pretty girls. Too bad his Pack Alpha, fate, and reality have other ideas about his trip abroad. He's pretty sure he didn't sign on to be a diplomat for the Snowdonia Wolf Pack. Or to find a Mate. Especially not a human Mate.

Megan knows better than to let a sweet-talking charmer get under her skin, but Sasha's sexy playfulness is making her forget all her rules. Except one: she's not willing to risk her heart by falling in love. The gorgeous boy from Wales can only be a fling, especially since her over-protective brothers hate him on sight. 

In the midst of a wolf uprising, a hesitant Mate, and Megan’s complicated family ties, Sasha learns that sometimes impulsiveness is dangerous and even lethal. Can he show Megan why they belong together before it all comes crashing down around him and he loses his Mate forever?

~

Video trailer


Embed link for teaser trailer:


Giveaway

I’m giving away 3 copies of A Handful of Wolf, to 3 lucky commenters across the tour. Just leave a comment at whichever site you visit, and you’ll go into the draw. The more comments you leave, the more chances you get to win J



Links

Buy links:
Amazon:




Other links:


Catch me blogging with Allyson Lindt at www.GeminiGirls.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6906923.Sofia_Grey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sofia.Grey.Romance.Author
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sofiagrey1/
Twitter: @SofiaGreyAuthor

Blog tour:

25-November – www.GeminiGirls.com
27-November – Silken Sheets & Seduction (http://silkensheetsandseduction.wordpress.com/)
27-November – Facebook Party!
28-November – Rosanna Leo (http://rosannaleo.blogspot.com)
29-November – Barbara Elsborg (http://barbaraelsborg.blogspot.com)
30-November – Love, Lust & Laptops (http://lovelustandlaptops.wordpress.com/)
1-December – CoverReveals (http://coverreveals.blogspot.com)
2-December – Daisy Banks Advent Calendar (http://daisybanks.wordpress.com/)
3-December – Sotia Lazu (http://justsotia.blogspot.com)
4-December – Lissa Matthews (http://lissamatthews.com/blog/)
5-December – Kimber Vale (http://kimbervale.wordpress.com/)
6-December – Tina Carreiro (tinacarreiro.blogspot.com)
8-December – Layne Macadam (http://www.laynemacadam.com/#!blog/cfxc/)

10-December – Laura Kaye (http://laurakayeauthor.blogspot.com)




About Author

Romance author Sofia Grey spends her days managing projects in the corporate world and her nights hanging out with wolf shifters and alpha males. She devours pretty much anything in the fiction line, but she prefers her romances to be hot, and her heroes to have hidden depths. When writing, she enjoys peeling back the layers to expose her characters’ flaws and always makes them work hard for their happy endings. 

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Monday, November 25, 2013

Please welcome Molly Ann Wishlade to the blog! 18+ excerpt!!!!

Blog Interview With Molly Ann Wishlade

Do you have a special place that you like to write in? A routine you need to go through - such as 6 chocolate chip biscuits before you start! Music on? Music off? Kids chained up?

I write anywhere and anytime I can get. As I currently work fulltime, it’s hard to write as much as I’d like but I do my best! So I write at the kitchen table, in bed, in a chair – any way I can! Unfortunately, that means I don’t have time for a routine as such but coffee really helps me get going! I’m very lucky that my husband and kids are understanding. They know how much this means to me and how hard I try to make sure that they’re all fed, clothed and happy, so they try to let me write when I get the chance.

Do you plot or write by the seat of your pants? How did you develop that technique?

I was a ‘pantser’ but I kept hitting that middle of the story sag because it meant that I wasn’t always sure where it was going. So now I plan. Carefully. The stories don’t always stick to the plan because, as you know, characters often take off in directions you hadn’t thought of, but that’s a great part of writing! It’s exciting when midway through a novel, the characters guide you where they want to go.

I do admire you for plotting. I wish I could but I agree whichever method you use, stories have a life of their own!

What made you want to be a writer?

I have always wanted to write. I grew up convinced I’d be a journalist or a poet. I wrote stories and read voraciously. I constantly had a book in my hand and when I discovered Jane Eyre…well, I fell in love with romance! I went to University at eighteen to study English, Media and Drama and I continued writing but I had a bit of a confidence crisis, thinking that I probably couldn’t do it as I didn’t have sufficient life experience. I allowed my life to drift for a while and kind of fell into teaching. Fast-forward some years (lol) and I finally thought it was worth trying again. And here I am. Still trying but much, much harder!
I have so many stories that I want to tell and I’m striving to get them out there! 2014 will be a busy year! Look out! ;)

I had the same crisis of confidence, Molly. Studying all the greats of English literature left me feeling I was a fraud for thinking I could write.

What is the best thing about being published?

This is a difficult one because it’s just amazing being published. Seeing a book that you created on sale with a beautiful cover created especially to fit your story is AMAZING! From acceptance, to contract, to edits to release day to first sale, I love the experience. I’ve had a tough few years for a variety of reasons but when I’m writing I can escape and to know that the product of my imagination is providing others with their own form of escapism is incredibly satisfying. I just want to keep on going!

What sort of books do you like to read? Why!

I read all sorts – from gothic romances to Stephen King – but I’m definitely a romance junkie! I find so much enjoyment in the stories but also in admiring the craft itself and studying how other romance authors create the conflicts and the intensity between their characters. It fascinates me. Also, I’m addicted to books about the Tudors. I went to Hever Castle in the summer for my birthday and it was fabulous! I have lots of photographs which I’ll post soon on my blog. I also have a plot for a novel featuring Anne Boleyn prepared and I can’t wait to get writing it. I’m currently researching for it and enjoying reading some biographies. It’s amazing how different the portrayals of that fascinating woman are but it will hopefully make for a great read!

Favourite TV shows? Why!

At the moment, having signed up to Netflix, we’ve become addicted to The IT Crowd. It’s just so funny! We’re watching several episodes at a time but the humour is just daft and my kids love it! It’s a battle at breakfast times to see who can quote the funniest line! I also enjoy more serious shows though such as Braquo and Hannibal. And whenever I’m a bit blue, re-runs of Friends are brilliant for lifting my spirits.

If you could give your younger self a few words of advice - what would they be?

Wow! This is a BIG question. I spent a lot of time wishing that I’d dealt with things differently when I was a teenager – like when my parents divorced. I won’t bore you with details but I guess it’s always easier to think about what you would have done or could have done, with hindsight. I am a worrier and I’ve wasted a lot of time worrying when it changed nothing at all. So I would say Don’t worry so much and grab every day and live it to the full because we spend a lot of time wishing for the time when things will be easier, or less stressful, and those times either don’t come or you find that when they do, you’re missing someone you lost along the way. It’s easy to regret things but regret is a waste of time because you can’t change yesterday but you can have an effect upon today and tomorrow.

Good advice!!

Describe what you'd like to be doing 10 years from now.

Hopefully, writing fulltime and no longer teaching. It’s sad but much as I enjoy the teaching part of the job, the bureaucracy in the profession in Britain has gone mad and you can’t simply enjoy seeing the pupils make progress. Plus writing is what I’ve always wanted to do. So writing whilst being a loving wife and mother with a happy and healthy family around me. And maybe a few chickens and that rescue greyhound I keep asking for. Not much, just simple things and peace of mind.

Thanks for answering my questions, Molly!




Wanton in the Wild West by Molly Ann Wishlade

BLURB
Sometimes a train journey can take you in an unexpected direction.
It is 1890, and the Chicago and North-Western Railroad now runs into Deadwood. After a year in Chicago, Amber Carpenter is homeward bound via steam train, escorted by two gorgeous cowboys. Amber swore a long time ago that she would never let a man hurt her, but that doesn’t mean that she’s not open to the idea of some fun.
Harry Delaney and Gideon Swain have their sights set on a bright future … if only their tragic past wasn’t holding them back. But from the moment they laid eyes on Amber Carpenter, they knew that there was something different about her.

Can the three of them turn their lives around within the space of a train journey?



EXCERPT – 18+
Amber stirred and opened her eyes. She blinked rapidly trying to clear the disorientation she felt.
She was naked. Outside. Wrapped around a naked man.
Harry!
She lifted her head and looked into his hazel eyes.
“Hey there, beautiful!” he whispered, then leant towards her and kissed her softly.
She enjoyed the warmth of his lips on hers, the feel of his strong, hard body and the growing erection, which pressed into her belly.
“Hello, Harry.” She smiled then realized that the day was cooler. The sun was lower in the sky. “Shouldn’t we be getting back? Before we’re missed?”
Doubt flooded into his gaze, and she wished that she could withdraw her words.
“If that’s what you want. We’ve not been gone all that long though, and they’ll call. Or Gideon will come looking once they’re ready to go.”
Amber placed her forefinger over his lips.
“Okay. Then what do we do while we’re waiting?”
Harry kissed her finger, and then his lips curved into a broad smile. “I can think of a few things.”
He rolled her onto her back and started to kiss her. Amber stretched out, savoring the exquisite sensations shooting through her limbs and flooding her body. She was amazed at the effect that this man had upon her. Just a touch or a kiss could set her skin on fire and her heart racing.
Was this just a physical reaction? Like the engine of the train, which was powered by coal or wood, were her feelings for Harry just powered by lust and desire? Or was there something else unfolding here? Something out of her control that could threaten her very resolve to remain single and independent.
His insistent mouth worked away her fears and her confusion, and she surrendered to him. His mouth on her breasts, his skilled fingers working her clitoris, and his erect cock as it pressed into her leg all took her further away from rational thought.
Then he moved his hand lower. Amber gasped as he tenderly probed between her folds and found the tight hole that led into her body.
He looked up from her breasts for a moment, seeking her approval, and she nodded at him. She wanted this. He returned to suckle her breasts, a feeling so delightful that she felt as if something inside her moved in time with his mouth. She gasped when she felt him inside her, touching her secret place tentatively with a finger. As he moved it in and out, Amber sighed and entwined her hands in his hair. She moved her hips in time with him, enjoying yet wanting more.
When he slid in another finger, she felt her opening stretching. A slight burning. Then nothing but incredible intense ecstasy. So many new and wonderful feelings! He plunged into her then withdrew before plunging again.
She moaned as he covered her clitoris with his mouth, cradling her bottom in his left hand whilst working inside her body with his right one. And she began to ascend again, her excitement winding up inside her like a coiled spring until suddenly it burst from her with a hot gush, and she throbbed into his mouth, time after time after time, riding wave after glorious wave of delight.
Harry continued to kiss her pussy for a while, running his tongue over her silken folds and sucking at the place where he had entered her, and she shivered with delightful little aftershocks. Then he climbed up her body and lay over her, resting on his elbows. His face was shiny with her juices, and his eyes shone with lust and something else, something so intense that it made her heart flip.
“Harry,” she whispered as she cupped his bristly chin between her palms. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure.” He grinned.
“No.” A deep voice emerging from the trees startled them both. “My pleasure!”
Harry pushed himself up to his knees, and Amber rolled onto her belly, trying to hide her nudity.
“Gideon.” Harry smiled. He jumped to his feet and hurried towards the other cowboy.

 MOLLY ANN WISHLADE LINKS

It will also be available at the following sites:




You can find more information about Molly Ann Wishlade and her books by visiting her blog: http://misswishlade.wordpress.com
Twitter: mollyannwishlade@misswishlade
Total-E-Bound Blogspot on 12th of every month: http://totalebound.blogspot.co.uk/


Monday, November 18, 2013

With or Without Him!






Well this has to be the sexiest cover I've had. Definitely one of my favourites though it isn't exactly how I'd imagined Tyler and Haris - but that doesn't matter. It would be a miracle if a cover artist could read my mind and work out exactly what I wanted when I never really know myself. I'm a bird of little brain. 
Anyhoo - the book is out today on general release. I've already had some lovely reviews and if you like it, I hope you'll consider reviewing it too or at least telling your friends. 


THE BLURB!

Everyone has at least one deep-seated fear. For Tyler, it’s being in debt. He’s so desperate to get out and stay out of it, he’ll do almost anything—including selling his body at Saturday night sex parties.

But he refuses to open his mind to anyone, especially the men paying to use him however they want. The only time he’s truly happy is during the week at college, when he can escape into his music.

The moment Haris sees Tyler playing piano at a concert, he falls hard, and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make the guy his. Even if it means—for the first time in his life—opening his wallet as wide and desperate as his heart.

£20,000 to live with a good-looking guy for four months? How can Tyler resist the chance to ditch the sex party scene for good? But neither man realizes how much they’re risking. And when outside forces close in, ready to destroy them, the trickiest part about the next four months could be just surviving.

Product Warnings
Contains a “for hire” bad boy with a filthy mouth, an awkward guy with a penchant for BDSM, a hypochondriac butler who won’t shut up, a dog called Alcide, and a lot of hot and dirty M/M sex.


To be fair, this isn't a BDSM book - so if you like BDSM you might be disappointed. But BDSM does play a role in the story.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Celebrations

My first grandchild had his first birthday yesterday! My daughter held a cake-smash - a shop bought cake covered in butter cream and hundreds and thousands that he was encouraged to play with, destroy, eat - do whatever he wanted. What Jackson wanted was to pick off the hundreds and thousands! Then he got into the swing of things.


While I spent a couple of hours trying to order information into some sort of logical fashion in order to put a page about me on Wikipedia. I discovered I now have over 30 books published and several novellas and short stories. Since my first book only came out in 2008 - I think that calls for a celebration. Where's my cake? (Oh I should add, I didn't write all those after 2008 - many were written before!)

Monday, November 11, 2013

Worried

I had a book recently published called Perfect Trouble - it's a shortish paranormal, an MF, featuring Jinx the werewolf and Jonah the faerie. Did you read it? Did you like it? If you didn't, would you tell me why? It's difficult writing in a vacuum, I never know whether readers like that I mix and match genres or not. Most MM writers seem to stick to that in all their books but I've written everything, MF, MMF, MM but not FF. Similarly with settings - I'm as happy writing contemporary as I am paranormal but do readers like that?
My second ever Sci Fi romance is done. Awaiting judgement from a couple more beta readers before I launch it on the perilous trip to a publisher and no matter how many books I've had accepted, there is always that worry - is it good enough, funny enough, sexy enough?

And a piece of interesting trivia - Ostriches are impossible to train because they don't remember what happens from one day to the next - or maybe they just like being awkward!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

That time of year

Daughter and son in law have been busy carving pumpkins. I don't do it any more. What is that stuff in pumpkin that makes your fingers all weird??

Sunday, October 20, 2013

My new book now available!

My paranormal MF erotic romance Perfect Trouble is now available for early download from Totally Bound.

Jonah, who's always in trouble, lands in even deeper water when he meets Jinx, but suddenly trouble doesn't look so bad anymore, in fact, it looks perfect.

Unwilling to forgo final respects even from a distance, Jinx sneaks to the funeral of a mother she hasn't seen for fifteen years, and lands in the worst trouble of her life. The alpha of the Washburn Valley pack never stopped searching for her and now he has Jinx, he's not going to let her go. She's extraordinary breeding material—a super wolf in every way; fast, smart and an exceptional shifter—but she'd rather eat her own eyeballs than mate with him. She just needs to figure out a way to escape.

Jonah's been in trouble all his life. The faery is currently under an indenture punishment for theft, but the idea of doing an extraction from the Washburn Valley pack fills him with dread. The wolves know his face, know he stole their gold and if they catch him, they'll eat his guts, with or without ketchup. But saying no when he's ordered north isn't an option. His plan to get into the compound works, but that's the only thing that does. He's staked and wrapped in iron without even getting a glimpse of his target.

For a pair born to trouble, a shifter and a fairy could be perfect for each other, if only they survive long enough to do more than run.
Perfect Trouble






https://www.totallybound.com/perfect-trouble?search=perfect trouble


Thursday, October 17, 2013

A taste of Africa inside Florida

As a late birthday treat, daughter and husband arranged a visit to the Giraffe Ranch near Dade City in Florida. What a great place. We were incredibly lucky that we were the only guests for our particular tour so we had the expertise of the very knowledgeable and friendly guide all to ourselves.
We had the chance to hand feed ringtailed lemurs who were so sweet. Their little hands were just wonderful. This is husband and keeper in their cage.

Then we had chance to feed the giraffes with cabbage!


We saw two rhinos who came to the keepers call.

And we held a tiny piglet, an albino hedgehog - there was so much to see. It was great. I'm never likely to go to Africa so this was a close as I am ever going to get. Most of it was seen from the back of a camel. I rode Clay and husband was on Doofus. 

The place was http://girafferanch.com/

Monday, October 14, 2013

Please welcome Cate Masters to my blog to celebrate the 200 INS story from Decadent Publishing!

Happy 200th 1NS


One of my favorite things about writing 1Night Stand stories is the versatility. So far, I’ve written a contemporary, Tonight You Belong to Me; a fantasy, A Hard Day’s Knight; another contemporary, Homecoming; a futuristic with time travel back to the Eighties, Cinderella Dreams.

My most recent 1NS release, Sweet Revenge, is a contemporary with a not-so-sweet history. Will the heroine and hero find a sweet ending? You’ll have to read it to find out. ;)

The cool thing is, no matter which direction you take a 1NS, you can make it work. I’ve read so many paranormal, fantasy and contemporary 1NS, and loved them all. If it doesn’t have a forever ending, it might have the promise of one, and that’s just as good for me. Is it any wonder the 1NS series is so addicting? For me, as a writer and a reader.

One more contemporary 1NS is coming up for release from me – one with a bit of humor, The Ex Factor. Will it be the 200th? *gasp* No, I doubt it, but I’m still partying to celebrate. Congrats to Decadent on the wonderful success of the 1NS series!

Giveaway
I’ll give away one ebook of any of my 1NS titles to one commenter. Just tell me what type of stories you love best.


Sweet Revenge
Humbled by life and hungry for love…
From cheerleader to news anchor to…yoga instructor? After Zoe Golden lost everything she thought was important, she found the inner strength to pursue real happiness. The simple life provides everything she needs—except love. Once, long ago, she met a real man, but her insecurities made her deny her heart’s desires. Can Madame Eve find her a guy like the one who got away?

Bruised by rejection and determined to exact revenge…
The sculpted, successful  owner of a chain of fitness studios, Ty Hardin can have any woman he wants. Fifteen years and 150 pound weight loss, has changed him beyond recognition. Now the girl who crushed his heart teaches yoga in one of his facilities. Not for long. Before he fires her, he wants one night with her. Wants her to know what she missed out on. But will revenge still be as sweet the morning after, or will it leave a bitter aftertaste?

Zoe and Ty might just be the best thing that ever happened to each other—if they can avoid doing their worst…

Available from Decadent Publishing

About Cate

Cate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.
Cate loves to hear from readers! Email her at: cate.masters@gmail.com

Catch up to Cate
Blog     Facebook     Goodreads   Amazon


Sunday, October 6, 2013

How bad is bad?

A recent post by a friend on Facebook got me wondering about back stories on heroes. The point of her post was why the heroes of BDSM stories have to have such terrible backgrounds. She wondered why sadists and masochists couldn't just be normal people with happy family lives below their preferred sexual leaning. Well, I don't personally know any sadists or masochists so I have no idea if they have wear slippers and stroke little puppies in their cosy homes. Maybe they do. But it raised the point in my mind as to how far we writers should go down the path of creating horrible back story for our heroes - and heroines.

I have to admit - I do like to give people tortured pasts. When I tried to think if any of my characters have loving normal parents - I drew a blank. If they did, I'd usually killed them off. Though the Trueblood clan have loving parents, don't they? Not sure if it counts if they are vampires. Plus they had to send their kids away to keep them safe, so maybe they don't count either.  I suspect Addie - out of Doing the Right Thing - has the worst mother - the woman didn't love her at all. Though Ash in An Ordinary Girl - her mother was - ah - better not give that story away. Even Charlie's mother in Strangers - had her moment.

So why do I like to write about cruel people? I think maybe it's to show how the hero or heroine can rise above that cruelty and be a good person, that just because you had a bad childhood, it doesn't mean you'll be unhappy as an adult. We're all responsible for our own happiness. Life's too short to give up on smiling. I just like to make my characters suffer to find their HEA.

And because this picture makes me smile - maybe it will make you smile too! of course moments later, Charlotte the Golden Retriever, threw up on the rug!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Naughty No-No's Blog Hop

I've joined the Naughty No-No's Blog Hop!

What's your guilty pleasure?

What's my guilty pleasure? The one thing I can't resist? Bread. Fresh bread. Warm fresh bread. No butter, no margarine, no jam, no Marmite, no cheese - just bread. I'm salivating thinking about it. No carb-free diet for me. Plus I'd take bread over chocolate any day of the week. 


What temptation are your characters always doomed to give into?

To love, of course! No matter whether they resist it or not, love will get them in the end. 






If you leave a comment admitting to your guilty pleasure, you have a chance of winning a copy of my MF paranormal ebook - Jumping in Puddles. 
For more confessions and chances to win books check out the other sites on the hop! 

http://justsotia.blogspot.gr/2013/09/naughty-no-nos-blog-hop-participation.html





And because Writery sensibly pointed out I'd said nothing about what my book was about - I've added this. 
Jago doesn’t just inherit a title after the death of his parents, he’s saddled with the crumbling money pit of a mansion that’s been in his family for centuries. With his medical career on hold, he struggles to secure the future of Sharwood Hall, trudging uphill with no finish line in sight.

The sins of a past generation fall on faerie Ellie and her family, and each year they must trek to the exact center of the UK to recharge their energy. Until they find the Kewen, treasure guarded and lost by their ancestors hundreds of years ago, they’re banished from Faeryland. Ellie’s father has spent fifty years searching, now it’s his eldest child’s burden.

As a stunning woman sweeps into Jago’s world in a thunderstorm, he can’t stop thinking she’s too good to be true. For little reason other than her sweet and generous heart, Ellie is helping to put Sharwood to rights and leaving him more and more suspicious she wants something other than him. When family and duty clashes with trust and love, it’s debatable whether a perilous leap of faith, directly off a bridge into treacherous waters, will keep lovers from being swept apart.


I do love this cover - it shows my rain dancing faerie off perfectly BUT this is an erotic romance and that doesn't really come across. It's one of my favourite stories and I'm just about to write another about one of Ellie's brothers.