When I grow up I want to be a…

Hang on…I’m thinking. That’s a really big decision.

I’m just kidding. Actually, I’ve reached that age now where I am things. Which is kind of a weird realization when it hits you. You’re in college with the world open to you one day and the next you wake up and you suddenly are things. Wife, mother, and writer are the top three answers I give when people ask me what I am. There are, however, a million subsets to those answers. As any wife, mother, writer will tell you. I’m a housekeeper, a cook, an accountant (not a great accountant but I did do our taxes last year so I’m taking it), a crisis manager (two young boys, one house!), everyone’s personal assistant, and the resident taskmaster. Yep, a whip is constantly on my Christmas wish list but Santa hasn’t delivered yet. This is the year, though. I can feel it. I’ve been a very good girl all year long. I promise.

Still, as much as I love my life, every once in a while I see a help wanted ad and think, I could do that. I’ll fantasize about the life change for a couple of days and then dive back into whatever work-in-progress I’ve got going on. Things I’ve daydreamed about doing? Being a birth doula—I had one with the birth of my first son and Oh.My.God was she phenomenal. Also working in PR. Mainly for politicians and police departments. This usually happens when I see a story on the news that’s handled so poorly I know I could do a better job spinning it. Tends to go something like this, “Who goes on the news and says there’s no way to stop the current alien invasion? Your job is to foster hope and keep the masses from rioting. You say, “We’re looking into all avenues of diplomatic resolution available to us.””

Yes, that was made up. There is no alien invasion. Though that would make an awesome story. File that little mental ramble under stories for another day. But it does kind of bring me to the point. One of the things I love so much about being a writer is with each new story I get to recreate myself. I’m never going to be a rancher on a settler planet. But when I was writing Ulterior Motives, I got to think like one. I got to visualize what her life would be like, what challenges she’d face, and what she’d be looking for in that perfect mate. It’s what I love the most about writing. I get to think like another person in another life. And then, when I reach happily-ever-after, I get to return to the life that’s perfect for me.

Which is all fine and good. But what about this rancher, you ask?

Universal Defiance, Book One

On a rural settler planet, Kat must resort to putting out an ad to find a husband. She doesn’t expect to find love—that’s a dream in these parts—just a partner to help work her ranch. Then the devastatingly handsome Jasper answers her ad and turns her on in ways she never dreamed possible. Too bad he’s not who he says he is.

Jasper doesn’t know what he’s getting into when he ventures undercover to investigate a legal claim against Kat’s ranch. But after a toe-curling night under her roof and in her bed, he’s willing to do anything to stay there. He can’t say no to the tough-as-nails businesswoman who makes his body come alive.

When people start getting hurt, though, both Kat and Jasper have to decide how valuable one piece of land is. And the ranch that brought them together might be the very thing standing between them.

A Romantica® sci fi erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy links:

Amazon | Ellora’s Cave | All Romance EBooks 

When he opened the door to the guestroom, though, the blaring of an alarm stopped him from going any farther. At first he thought he’d somehow triggered the noise but as soon as he smelled the first wisps of smoke, understanding filled him. Something was on fire. He wanted to rush out into the safety of the open grounds but he fought against the instinct. He had to make sure Kat got out as well.

He raced back to the bathroom to find her standing in the hallway, wrapped in nothing but a towel, with her dark hair flung over one shoulder in a curly mess. There were no tears or hysterical rants despite the fear clearly reflected in her expression.

His job required him to make quick assessments of situations and he excelled at it. But sometimes that left him blind to the more subtle aspects of life. He’d seen a competent businesswoman when he’d first laid eyes on Katarina Maxim. She’d been nothing but efficient and practical from the moment she held her hand out to him. But now, as she shivered in front of him with alarms going off in the background, he realized how much he’d missed in that original assessment. He’d seen her as a businesswoman but the person standing in front of him now possessed so much more.

The vulnerability of the moment and her calm resolve in meeting it added to her strength and touched him.

“I came to find you as soon as I heard the alarm.”

“Most men would’ve gone to battle the blaze first.”

His heart sank at her words. She saw him as a coward. Not that it mattered how she saw him. He wasn’t really trying out for the role of her husband. As soon as he finished his report, he’d be on his way back to his real life. But her words still stung. He’d like to be the hero at least once. To be the one who rushed in and saved the day.

“Don’t look at me like I just kicked your damn puppy. I meant that as a compliment. Most men stupidly let their hormones control them and they tend to get in the way,” she added as she walked past him. “I’ve never been impressed with the gender as a whole.”

He felt fairly certain they did not share the same understanding of the word “compliment” but didn’t dare ask for a clarification as she bustled down the hallway all businesslike.

Author Links:
Website: https://www.chandraryan.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chandra.ryan
Twitter: @ChandraRyan

Bio:

Being from a rather nomadic family, Chandra Ryan loves to travel and meet people. But she’s found that sometimes, like when you’re stuck inside because of a good old-fashioned Southwestern heat wave, you have to make do. Fortunately for her and her loving family, who don’t like seeing her suffer from cabin fever, she’s found creating new people and places equally as fascinating. Also, you’re a lot less likely to spill your ice tea.

I’ve been neglectful. Granted, I’ve had a bucketload of releases lately, so I can understand how you missed this one. Good thing is, this is a story that keeps fresh thanks to a lovely new innovation by Amazon. Crescent Moon is a Kindle Serial. What is that, you might ask? Kindle Serials are stories published in episodes, with future episodes delivered at no additional cost. Four episodes of my serial have already released, and another will be ready in a day or two. New episodes are delivered every two weeks.

Something to look forward to every two weeks. How fun is that? And as for the book… You know it’s going to be sexy, right? Add mummies coming back to life, Nile crocodiles inhabiting the canals of New Orleans, and an Egyptian god or two lurking in the darkness, and you have to know what happens, right? Khepri has been resurrected to fight an ancient evil. Armed with knowledge of the modern world that she can access like an encyclopedia, she still has difficulty relating everything she knows to what she experiences. Her attraction to one particular man is most concerning.

Here’s a mockup of the print cover. When all the installments are published, the book will be issued in its entirety in print for those of you who must have paper. Pretty, isn’t it? 

I hope you’ll give my story a good look. I love Khepri and Justin Henry Boucher, her exasperated New Orleans detective/protector. Here’s a little taste of the sexy…

Excerpt from Crescent Moon…

“You should wait for someone special, cher. I’m too rough around the edges. Too old for you.”

“How old are you?”

“Thirty-five.”

Her mouth curved. Age was not an issue. She’d been born millennia ago. “I will defer to greater wisdom, and let you choose how we do this, Justin Henry Boucher.”

His hand curved around hers, which lightly gripped him. For a second, she thought he would push her away again, but the hesitation was followed by his fingers squeezing around hers, firming her grip to ride the long column up and down. The soft cotton separating her fingers from the evidence of his desire was no barrier at all.

As they glided together, their breaths deepened. “I want to see you,” he said, his gravely tone deepening.

“A light,” she said. “Something soft.”

He withdrew and she sat up on the mattress as he strode away. The bathroom light ignited. He disappeared inside for a long moment, the sound of a drawer opening then sliding closed. Silence followed, and then he pulled the door partway closed after he reentered the bedroom. Just enough light remained to see the grim set of his jaw, the wildness in his eyes. Read the rest of this entry »

I was supposed to have a guest today, but I forgot to send Dakota Byrd a reminder, and she forgot all about me, too. So, it’s just me. If I can get hold of her, maybe she’ll be here tomorrow. 🙂

I have a full day, so no time to chit-chat except in quick bites today. I wanted to remind you that Wednesday will be end of this month’s contest! There’s a $20 Amazon gift card up for grabs, so you still have time to enter. All you have to do is post comments. Easy, right?

I’ll leave you with a question, because I love reading your answers…

If you could skip one 60-minute time slot every day, which would it be?

For me, I start to drag around mid-afternoon, so I’d choose 2-3 PM.

The family made a weekend trip to northern Arkansas in early June. I hadn’t had a chance to look through photos since, but today flipped through a few. One of my favorite parts of the trip was going through Blanchard Springs Caverns. I came away with lots of interesting shots like this one. Tons of pretty formations…

 I didn’t expect to get this shot since I was using my little Canon PowerShot and it was on the far side of the cave, very high up, but this looks cool and mysterious right? Some think it looks like the Titanic. I think it’s Atlantis…

This is my favorite shot. It’s the only part of the caverns where I picked up orbs, which makes sense since its right near the mouth of the cave and people could have stumbled in, but wouldn’t have gotten too far in the dark before they expired. My little Canon is my ghost camera. I’ve posted shots I’ve taken before in haunted places, and she never fails to find the spirits lingering in the dark. If its dust or whatever floating in the air, how come I only ever see these things where you expect to see ghosts—and no where else, hmmm…?

If you’d like to see more orb shots, check out the links below. In Crescent 1, you will see more than just the orbs!

Crescent 1
Crescent 2
Seattle Underground

Same camera at Jesse James’ childhood home. See the image I caught in the glass? My daughter says it’s just a trick of sunlight and the trees. I think not. I’m a writer, where would I be if I always looked for a logical explanation? Couldn’t spirits manipulate the light and trees to send a message? I am here!

Do you believe in ghosts?

The winner of the free download of one of the prequel books is Mary!

* * * * *

I’m late getting this posted today! If I haven’t mentioned it before, my daughter is expecting to give birth at any time. Last night, she thought she might be going into labor, so I stayed at her place babysitting dogs and cats and a kidlet, while she made another trip to the emergency room. It was a false alarm, but now we’re all wrung out.

Today, I thought I’d introduce you to the last of the Triple Horn Brand stories. Think Texas cowboys, a hot summer on a cattle ranch… The theme running through all the books is the fact the Triplehorn boys never, ever moved on from their first sweethearts. The books are a bit sweeter, and a couple of them involve women who were inappropriate matches back in the day, but they’ve all been given second chances to fall in love all over again. This last one even involves a little ménage play, something I know you love to see with these Texas cowboys. 🙂

Hope you enjoy the snippet. A Long, Hot Summer releases on August 13th, so you have time to read the other two books before diving into this one. If you’d like to go ahead and pre-order the book, click on the cover! I do a nice little wrap-up at the end of this book so you can see all the Happy-Ever-Afters…

If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a free download of one of the prequel books!

One shared past. One weekend to make things right—and make it last forever.

The TripleHorn Brand, Book 3

Sarah Colby has never quite managed to shake off the emotional scars her ex-husband left behind. Nor has she been able to shed the shame of the one indiscretion that still haunts her memories.

When she asks the Triplehorn Ranch for help to move her cattle to an auction, the man they send has her working double-time to shore up the walls around her heart. He’s older now, harder—and hotter—but he’s the same Tommy Triplehorn she couldn’t resist all those years ago.

Tommy couldn’t be happier that his brothers have settled down, but he’s feeling a little smothered by all the domesticity. At the same time, carousing and drinking no longer appeal—and he thinks he knows why. Sarah Colby.

He’s waited too long for her to get over being ashamed of what they shared. He’s old enough to know what he wants. It’s her, and he’s going to use every second of their time together to dismantle her resistance. Even if he has to call in a little backup.

Product Warnings:A cowboy on a mission to prove to the woman he loves that the only number that matters is the number of fantasies he’s willing to fulfill—even if it means sharing her for a night.

She forced herself to uncurl her fingers. What was she doing? Looking for problems? For judgment? Was she simply hoping to find a compelling reason to send Blake on his way like she’d done the past eight years with every other man who’d approached her since her husband’s untimely death?

Sarah forced herself to uncurl her hands in her lap. In any other situation, she’d have been comfortable, in charge. But here, knowing Blake wanted to marry her, that he’d expect intimacies at some point, left her cold inside.

A damaged heroine in a romance novel, she certainly was not, but she had been tainted by a violent man. Left untrusting and wary. Glad for a long while for her self-imposed celibacy.

Pretending ease with the man sitting across from her seemed an insurmountable task. Who was she fooling? Sooner or later, he’d make a move and she wasn’t entirely sure how she’d react. Would she flinch or lean away? Or simply freeze in place?

The more she considered the idea of intimacy with this man, the more the knot in her stomach hurt. The last thing Blake wanted was problems. He had his life mapped out. He hadn’t looked any further than skin deep to determine she was his next move.

So although he’d be disappointed in the short term, she knew she couldn’t string him along with hopes she’d learn to deal with a husband in her life and bed. Before the salads arrived, Sarah made her apologies and quietly excused herself, leaving a befuddled Blake without a clue what he’d done wrong.

She headed straight to her car, hat in her hand, not looking around the dark parking lot. A scuff of gravel sounded, and she instantly regretted waving Blake back into his chair when he’d offered to walk her out. She cupped her keys, spreading her fingers around three to use as a weapon.

“You didn’t stay for dinner,” came a quiet voice behind her. Smooth as whiskey. Achingly sweet. Tommy Triplehorn. Read the rest of this entry »

Update: Laurie P is the winner of Elle’s prize package!

* * * * *

All of Me

Do you feel like you are several different people all wrapped up into one person? That life is pushing each of those persons in different directions and you can’t quite seem to bring them all together?

This has been my theme for the past few years. Especially since I started writing under two different pen names. I’m a wife, a mother, a grandmother and a business owner (not just writing). And I’m two different authors: Myla Jackson and Elle James.

Myla is my sexier, not afraid to try a ménage a trois and a little spanking and bondage type of gal who enjoys funny stories based around interesting characters and settings. While Elle likes to speed through stories blowing stuff up and riding in the fast lane of action and adventure.

What I find difficult sometimes is balancing the different sides of me. In order to satisfy my readers, I need to keep stories coming. Ask any author…it’s hard to keep writing enough stories to satisfy readers voracious appetites as one author. Try being two!

So how do I handle it? I write like my hair’s on fire!

Leave a comment about all of you for a chance to win
the prize package of one of my Elle James books:  

THE WITCH’S INITIATION

And I hope you enjoy the following blurb and excerpt from my most recent Myla Jackson release.

Boots and Roses

by Myla Jackson

Welcome back to the Ugly Stick Saloon!

Bunny Leigh really shouldn’t care that her ex is days away from getting remarried. Yet the fact he’s getting hitched to the woman he cheated on her with stings more than she cares to admit.
It’s that sting that drives her to impulsively throw a bid in the annual Ugly Stick Saloon Cowboy Auction. To her surprise, she lands not only one of the best-looking men in the tri-county area, but two. The prospect of keeping up with two younger men has the shy florist quaking in her flower pots.

Little does she know, best friends Cory McBride and Jack Monahan made doubly sure their favorite florist won them both. But now they have their work cut out for them, convincing her they want more than one steamy night. They want a chance at forever.

Warning: A cop, a cowboy and a flower shop owner make the petals fly! And look what happens when the Ferris wheel stops at the top. Bring a fan, the heat’s rising at the Ugly Stick Saloon.

Samhain Publishing | Barnes & Noble Nook | Amazon Kindle | Kobo

 Coming once, coming twice…SOLD!

© 2013 Myla Jackson

For forty-five minutes, Bunny left the paddle on the bar, refusing to give in to her loneliness and bid on a paid-for pity date. One by one the men paraded around the stage, women bid and the gavel banged. One by one the chance for a date passed and Bunny slipped deeper into a blue funk.

Her lips still tingled from the contact with Cory’s and Jack’s, and she raised her hand to touch her mouth. No vibrator had affected her as much as those earth-shaking kisses. Once again, Bunny considered Audrey’s words. Maybe it was time for her to get out in the dating pool again and give love a second chance.

“Hold on to your belt buckles, ladies,” Charli said with a flourish. “Here to introduce the final act, the woman who made the Cowboy Auction possible, Audrey Anderson.”

Audrey stepped up on the stage with Deputy Monahan holding her arm. The owner of the Ugly Stick Saloon took the microphone from Charli and faced the crowd, her face straight, serious.

Ladies, it’s been brought to my attention that we’ve had several instances of sexual misconduct against our own Deputy Jack Monahan. I ask you to please keep your hands to yourself and respect the man who was brought here to keep the peace.” Read the rest of this entry »

I AM A PARANORMAL ROMANCE WRITER AND PROUD OF IT!! And when people say that vampire romance – or werewolf romance, or pick-your-paranormal romance- is dying out, I wonder what other band wagons those people jump on and off of. Do these people follow whatever team is winning at the time?

I read paranormal romance for two reasons: 1) I like romance because I like the “happily ever after”, and 2) I often find normal romances a little boring, and the paranormal aspect gives the story that extra twist and edge.  (And if you want your books really edgy, try reading an erotic paranormal romance!)

Don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with non-paranormal romance, it’s just not my personal favorite.

Does this mean I won’t read a book without a supernatural element? Of course not. I’m really enjoying the latest explosions of dystopia and steampunk….neither which are new, just finally getting the exposure they deserve. I also have some plain old-fashioned Nora Roberts romances on my shelf (although I have to say, they have been sitting there, unread, for awhile.)

Anne Rice’s Interview With The Vampire came out in 1976!!  Kelley Armstrong’s first Otherworld story Bitten was released in 2001.  I read paranormal then, and I’m reading it now. Yes, some fads come and go, but for real paranormal romance fans, these dark and interesting heroes and heroines will stick around.

And since they say it is best to write about what you know….I write paranormal romance.  My first book, Silver Blade, is an e-novella published by The Wild Rose Press, and it is about Oz McAvoy, a demon hunter. His supernatural edge is just what my heroine, the sexy and attractive Angela Knight needs in her life.

So, how about you…do you like your romance spiced up with a little bit of the supernatural?  Let me know, or just leave a comment in general.

I’ll be giving away a pdf copy of Silver Blade to two readers randomly selected from all of those who leave a comment for me on the blogs I visit during my tour. (Visitors can have multiple entries if they comment at more than one blog. Dates & sites for my tour can be found on my website.)

Here is an excerpt from my proudly-paranormal romance, Silver Blade:

“You’re a stripper?” Oz sounded surprised. “Hot. Very hot.”

Yes, it certainly was. Why did he have this effect on her? She opened her window a little more. “I was for all of about three days. I didn’t go to Vegas planning to be a stripper, but it was easy work and paid well. At least I thought so until I found out the extra things my boss wanted me to do. So I quit. I was auditioning for one of the casino shows when an opportunity came up. The casino wanted attractive girls who were smart enough to deal blackjack while wearing a bra and chaps, and who could still concentrate while being hit on a hundred times a night. Pays good; tips are great.”

“Hot and smart. Nice combination. Pull in up there.”

Angela turned at the nameless grey mailbox and began the short trip down the dirt drive. The tiny farmhouse sat lonely, surrounded by an empty expanse of grass and then forest. She pulled to a stop in front of the small two-story structure.

“Look, Angel, I would love to invite you in right now for lunch, but after that stripper story and watching you walk around in those jeans and boots all morning, I have to be honest—food is the last thing on my mind.”

Angela’s gaze fell to Oz’s lap. His obvious erection fought against the green hospital pants. She chewed her lip as she glanced back up to meet unabashed lust in his eyes. Forget being held in his arms, she ached to feel his powerful hands all over her body. Desire warmed between her legs.

She turned off the engine and opened her door. “Luckily, I think lunch is the most overrated meal of the day.”

~*~*~*~*~*

I’ll be giving away a pdf copy of Silver Blade to two readers randomly selected from all of those who leave a comment for me on the blogs I visit during my tour. (Visitors can have multiple entries if they comment at more than one blog. Dates & sites for my tour can be found on my website.)

Silver Blade is available from Wild Rose Press at https://bit.ly/14E2JUg

Or through Amazon at   https://amzn.to/10EnetM

You can contact/follow Charlotte at the following:

Charlottecopper.author@gmail.com

Charlottecopperauthor.wordpress.com