It is never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise.~ Nancy Thayer
I love that saying. It’s so simple and so true.
I love the thought of new beginnings. Today’s the beginning of a new month. I have a bright shiny new schedule prepared to help me step out with vigor. Whether I finish everything listed on that plan is still up in the air, but I have hope.
This is the first of December, which means there’s just one more month to go before a shiny new year begins. December is always filled with planning activities for both personal goals and writing goals. I take New Year’s resolutions seriously. One resolution my sister and I shared at midnight, December 31, 1999, was to become who we were meant to be. Which led us to writing. We stepped out smartly in January 2000 with very specific goals, and look at where we are now. We performed the ultimate revisions of our lives.
My question to you is whether you make New Years resolutions or not. Comment for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card.
Guilty pleasures… We all have them, don’t we? Whether it’s putting off that boring but important task you know you need to do (ahem…taxes!) in favour of watching reality TV, or eating the last double-choc chunk cookie you were trying to save for your spouse.
One of my favourite guilty pleasures is sneaking off at a party, and hiding out in an upstairs bedroom with a good book! Yes, all the other introverts are high-fiving right me now…
Speaking of books, I have a scorcher for you – Rachel Kramer Bussel’s latest erotica anthology, Dirty Dates: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, which is full of pleasures, both guilty and not-so-guilty.
Cleis Press has generously offered to give away a copy of the book to one lucky reader!
Just tell us in the comments what your favourite guilty pleasure is, and on Tuesday 1 December I’ll draw the winner’s name out of a hat.
And now, because I like to tease, here’s an excerpt from my story “Switch”, included in Dirty Dates. The naughty little snippet below is the start of a reunion between two lovers…there’s a twist in the story, too, but I won’t spoil the suprise!
From “Switch”, by Mina Murray
“You’re early!”
I don’t mean to sound accusatory, but I’ve been practicing a new dance routine and am not exactly dressed for a sexy reunion. The yoga pants I’m wearing have bleach stains around the hems, and my tank top has also seen better days.
“Yeah? Well, you’re sweaty,” he says, and drops his bag in the hall.
“Sorry,” I say, grimacing. “Let me take a quick shower and I’ll welcome you properly.”
Grady kicks the door shut behind him and tugs me into an embrace.
“I’m just teasing, Cass,” he murmurs against my throat. “You smell amazing. You smell like woman.”
I groan at that. He always knows the right things to say, the things that get me wet.
Strong hands grip my hips and heft me up against the wall. I have no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist, unless I want to fall. My arms loop around his neck and I lean in for a kiss, but he holds himself just out of reach.
“I missed you,” he says.
“Oh baby, I know,” I purr, and rub myself against him. “I missed you, too.”
He lets me kiss him then, light brushes of my lips against his that gradually build into something deeper and more consuming. It’s been so long, I feel like I could almost come from this alone: from his tongue in my mouth, his breathless kiss, the pressure of his hips rocking against me. But it’s not enough, and eventually we have to break for air.
I unravel myself from around him. Even before my bare feet touch the floorboards, I’m reaching for his belt.
“Not yet.” He stills my hand. “Not till after I give you your present.”
“Grady, you shouldn’t have.”
“It’s something we’ll both enjoy.”
He smiles, a sly look that does nothing to warm his eyes. That’s when I start to get nervous.
See, Grady has this uncanny ability to change gears, right when I least expect it. One minute he’ll be all sweet and solicitous, then some hidden switch will trip inside him and he’ll become this domineering bastard who’ll make me crawl to him, make me beg. He’ll drag me to my limits and then make me take that final step into the void, alone—and fully conscious of what I’m doing. And when I’m on the other side—after I’ve fallen—he’ll praise me and tell me he’s proud of me, and that’s what will make me cry.
Sometimes I don’t know which version of Grady I love more. But I know which one I’m getting this afternoon.
I’m a fan of mythology in general, from Roman to Greek to Egyptian to Norse. I’m intrigued by the gods and goddesses, the mysticism, the magic and the creatures unique to different cultures and/or religions.
Most recently, I put pen to paper inspired by the myths and legends of the Norse people.
What is it about the Northmen that fascinates us? Is it their voracious appetite for violence? Their long hair and beards? Over the last year, I teamed up with a talented group of authors to answer those questions with fiction. In RISE OF THE NORTHMEN, each of us presents our take.
RISE OF THE NORTHMEN brings forth five stunning tales of sex, love, violence and triumph. From Vikings to Krakens to Berserkers to Valkyries, there is something for anyone who is a fan of Norse mythology and the mighty Northmen of days gone by.
This heart-stopping erotic anthology features Saranna DeWylde, Paul Goat Allen, Alyssa Breck, Mark Henry and Annice Sands.
For a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card, tell me what mythological character captivates your attention. The winner will be selected randomly from all commenters.
About the Author
Alyssa Breck is an author of horror/urban fantasy, paranormal romance and erotic fiction. She grew up reading Stephen King and V.C. Andrews. The Shining changed her life and sparked a love of all things scary, spooky and spine-chilling. Add some romance to that and she found her niche weaving paranormal and erotic romance stories. Alyssa hangs her hat in the South with her family of humans and fur-babies.
And there’s the reason I’m in Virgina for the holiday. All the kids together—noise, laughter, reconnecting. And this may sound very odd to you, but it’s our normal, I’m staying with my ex and his girlfriend (lovely lady and a terrific cook!). It’s how we do things. No drama among the adults. Just a real satisfaction in seeing that everyone’s well and thriving.
My son and I aren’t “telephone people”. So, it’s only when we can manage to get together that we really talk. Mostly about the kids, his job, his new house—and the things we both love: metal music and B-quality sci-fi movies. I turned him onto White Buffalo (not heavy metal, but an awesome voice!) and he had me watching videos by Highly Suspect. I really love their song, Bath Salts.
Enjoy Lydia below. I love the water and really feel like I may have been a mermaid in an alternate universe, but this video had me squirming I was so worried about her escaping…
For a chance to win a $5.00 Amazon Gift Card, let me know
what you’re doing for the holiday! And you don’t have
to be an American to enter! Pick a holiday!
One day, I was driving around my hometown of Las Vegas, taking in the sights. I’d been away for a bit, so I was looking through fresh eyes. So, when I passed the local watering hole with a huge banner on the side of the building that read, “Enter Our Giveaway. Grand Prize—New Boobs!” I did a double take. (Yes, I had to stop in. It was for real.) And then, as I was inching my way up the Strip, I stopped at a light to let a gaggle of showgirls in their G-strings, beaded bras, and feathers cross the street.
That’s when it really hit me—Deborah you are so not in Texas anymore.
And I remembered exactly what inspired me to set a series in Las Vegas.
Heck, most people can’t imagine living here. And everyone has an opinion—Vegas is a love-it or hate-it kind of place.
Or, it was.
Vegas has grown up.
When I first started my Lucky O’Toole series, Vegas still had that Wild West, naughty vibe. Trust me, I was trying to raise a then fifteen-year-old male there, so I was hyper-aware. The billboards often featured perfect female backsides and the kids’ idea of hanging at the mall was touring the Forum shops at Caesar’s wondering what trouble Michael Jackson was getting into.
Thank God my son LOVED golf.
I was breathing easy until my son decided he’d like to go workout on the way to high school—not a thought that would normally strike. I smelled a rat—but he really was going to the gym, so I let it ride. Later I got the real story—the strippers all work out when they get off work. Great.
One day I guess my son got too close and one of the ladies barked at him and that was the end of that little fantasyJ
Yes, Vegas is a different experience.
And, I fell in love with the silliness and the mischief. So, I wrote a romantic mystery with a bunch of snark that captured what I saw in this quintessential American creation.
A book targeted toward women… set in a city that everyone other than me thought was strictly for men. No, I didn’t know that going in. Totally clueless.
As if trying to launch a writing career wasn’t a large enough challenge. Marilyn Stassio chose Wanna Get Lucky? , the first in the series, as a NYT Notable crime Novel and it also garnered a double-Ritaä finalist nod, so thankfully not everyone was put off by Vegas.
And through the series I’ve tried to bring people along on my love affair with a city that doesn’t take itself seriously and just wants visitors to have fun and a bit of an escape. Vegas is now a HUGE foodie mecca with virtually all of the top-tier celebrity chefs well-represented with eateries of their own. The shows are spectacular. And A-list singers regularly cycle through town—some even stay for longer-term, in-residence gigs. We even have the Broadway touring shows.
Yes, it is possible to “Do Vegas” and never gamble or hit a “Gentlemen’s Club”—If THAT’s not an oxymoron, I don’t know what is—or perhaps, more correctly, a HUGE misnomer. But, I digress.
Vegas is so important to my series that it really is a character. I mean where else can you be sitting in a restaurant and watch the young women in their terribly short skirts try to sit on the stools at the bar, only to find the leather rather chilly. The minute their choochillalas hit the leather they popped up like a human version of Whack-A Mole.
Or where else could you take a posse of girlfriends to a true male strip club and be very glad you have the protection of a group? Who knew male stripping was a contact sport?
And there was the couple who come to Vegas every year, take different names, stay in separate rooms, only to pick each other up at the bar to have a torrid “affair.” And the lady who packed her cats…
Anyway, as you can see, setting is integral to my stories.
What about you? Does setting influence your reading decisions? Turn you off? Or turn you on?
Comment for a chance to win a free download of Lucky Break! There will be THREE WINNERS!
LUCKY BREAK
The Sixth Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure
On Sale November 20, 2015
Click to Buy
With Christmas a few days away, Lucky O’Toole, Vice President of Customer Relations for the Babylon, Las Vegas’s premier Strip casino resort, is in a festive mood. The upcoming wedding of her assistant to the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock and her own engagement to her delish French Chef, Jean-Charles Bouclet have Lucky in full holiday cheer.
And even bigger celebrations are afoot. The national media is focused on the grand opening of Jean-Charles’s restaurant atop Lucky’s very own slice-of-heaven hotel. The opening gets a boost when Holt Box, a retired country-western singing legend lends a hand in the kitchen, adding mega-watt celebrity buzz.
Lucky’s life is humming.
The only sour note is her former lover, Teddie.
Teddie claims Lucky’s father, the Big Boss, has put an end to his return to the Las Vegas stage by handing that stage to Holt Box. Box is returning from retirement, a comeback of epic magnitude that will give the Babylon—and Lucky’s career—an incredible boost.
Taken by surprise, Lucky takes the high road. Or rather, she does what she always does when life overwhelms… She ignores it.
Until she finds Teddie and her father, bloodied and angry, standing over the lifeless body of Holt Box, a dagger in Teddie’s fist.
The media sharks are circling. A Macau heavy-hitter in town, flying under the radar but making his presence felt. An old nemesis of Lucky’s is out of prison and salivating for revenge. Lucky’s mother is ramping up her political campaign while juggling her new twins, who still don’t have names. And Christmas is racing toward a crescendo.
Time is short as Lucky must discover whether Teddie is a killer.
And why she still cares.
About the Author
My mother tells me I was born a very long time ago, but I’m not so sure—my mother can’t be trusted. These things I do know: I was raised in Texas on barbeque, Mexican food and beer. I am the author of WANNA GET LUCKY? (A NY Times Notable Crime Novel and double RITA™ Finalist), its five sequels, LUCKY CATCH, being the latest, and four between-the-books novellas. Currently I’m stretching my writer muscles working on a women’s fiction/contemporary romance series set in Napa, a dark thriller, as well as the next Lucky adventure, LUCKY BREAK, due out November 20, 2015—all very different projects. So, if you see me with a glass of Champagne in hand, you’ll understand. I can usually be found at the bar, but also at www.deborahcoonts.com.
If you were to ask me what I love the most about Valiant Heart it’s definitely the strong female characters. I’ve been dying to write a book that features an Amazon-like tribe of Huntresses, women who reject their destiny of having to mate with either a werewolf or a Hunter. Women who take what’s theirs and all the power that comes with it. And that’s what you’re going to get in my latest Order of the Wolf book. These women kick some serious ass.
I’ve always been fixated on the role that strong female characters play in fiction and on the screen. I love watching and reading about women who can take charge, lead, manipulate, control, maim, destroy…whatever needs to happen, as long as it’s a she in that role.
If I were going to build an apocalypse team with only female heroines, my top five from movies and books would be:
Buffy either movie of TV show (both have merits)
Sarah Connor from Terminator
Selene from Underworld
Cynthia Leighton from D.B. Reynolds’s Vampires in America series
MacKayla Lane from Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series
There are many more, of course, but all of these women exhibit, not only strength, cunning wit and courage, but they are also loyal, smart, and sassy. They truly take no shit, can roll with the punches, and will lead or follow depending on what the situation calls for. All of these traits are what make a solid team and blow up the scenes with much kick-assery.
Who are your favorite female leads?
What traits would you look for if you were putting together an apocalypse team?
What are some books you’ve read with strong female characters?
Contest
I’m giving away 5 prizes of any one ebook copy from my backlist
When the choice is love or loyalty, no matter what she chooses the heart will bleed.
The Order of the Wolf, Book 6
Slay the beasts. Save the day. Such is Ariana’s role in her first mission for the Queen. She has no reason to think the rest will be any different…until, in the heat of battle, she uses her powers to heal an injured Order Huntress.
Her gift doesn’t go unnoticed. Lance, her very own Hunter, zeroes in, and a different battle is on. Lance is hot and very attentive, but this Amazon is determined to stay independent.
Lance has prepared his whole life to battle alongside his mate. Now that he’s found her, nothing and no one else matters. He’s not letting her go.
For the Queen’s second mission—bring the Oracle into the tribe—Ariana risks taking Lance’s bond to get more power. She never expected her body to crave more pleasure, her heart to lower its defenses.
As the battle rages on between Huntresses and beasts, there’s a foul plan in play that will force Ariana to decide where her loyalty lies. The cost of her choice could be a life.
Product Warnings
Contains a squirm-worthy love triangle, plus some scenes of debatable consent between a take-no-crap Huntress and a super-hot playboy with a come-hither smile and a come-multiple-times tongue.
Excerpt from Valiant Heart
“We’ve been tracking Lazarus’s pack for years to no avail. Lost quite a few of our members to his claws and so we retreated to build up our strength and our numbers.” I pushed myself from the wall and walked to the center of the room where Greer stood. “When we heard that he’d been defeated by one of yours, we put together a team to track what was left of his pack. What better time than now to eliminate the threat? While his pack is still reeling from the loss of one so powerful?”
“And so we’re here, offering our support.” Greer smiled. “All we ask is that you come with us.”
“Like hell! You’re not going anywhere with these bitches!” Lance bellowed from the doorway, his look less disheveled than I would have expected. His hair was damp and pulled roughly into a tail at his nape, his clothes clean, his stance wide, like he was loath to let the coarse fabric of his jeans touch anything in his crotch region.
That last assessment might have been some wishful thinking on my part, my anger suddenly rising with the memory of his attempted bonding.
“Lance, you have no idea what we’ve been talking about.” Kelly moved toward him, hands raised like she was cornering a wild animal.
I smirked as I shot a knowing look in Greer’s direction. She was raptly watching the scene play out, amused no doubt that Kelly was even bothering to calm the man down. As if a Hunter could control any Huntress.
“These women are not what they seem, Kelly.” Lance was furious, rightly so perhaps, but coming off as a raging lunatic. “Open your damn eyes.”
Kelly flinched and halted, her expression losing any softness she’d had moments before. “My eyes are open. For the first time in years, they are wide open. These women are Huntresses and they are offering me a chance to empower myself and find Andrew. What the hell are you so scared of?”
“Your power, sister,” Greer whispered. “That’s what they’re all afraid of.”
All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication
About the Author
Every day is Halloween for author Angela Addams. Enthralled by the paranormal at an early age, Angela spends most of her time thinking up new story ideas that involve supernatural creatures in everyday situations. She believes that the written word is an amazing tool for crafting the most erotic of scenarios.
She is an avid tattoo collector, a total book hoarder and loves anything covered in chocolate…except for bugs.
She lives in Ontario, Canada in an old, creaky house, with her husband and children.
Former SEAL and shining Hollywood starlet struggle against their burgeoning desire while trying to stay alive in the crosshairs of a murderous stalker.
Hank “Montana” Patterson never thought his call to duty would force him to leave his band of brothers in the Navy SEALs to return to the family ranch in the foothills of Montana’s Crazy Mountains. News that his father was shot, sends him rushing home to take over the reins of the Bear Creek Ranch. His forever belligerent father refuses his help, insisting Hank find the person who shot him. What Hank learns is the bullet was meant for the neighboring ranch owner, a Hollywood celebrity, a beautiful actress who once stole Hank’s heart.
Hometown girl, now a Hollywood temptress, Sadie McClain shot to fame and fortune on the big screen, earning her star on the walk of fame and a stalker who won’t back off. Escaping to her ranch in Montana, Sadie hopes to avoid her stalker, only to be hunted there as well. In need of a bodyguard with combat skills, Sadie hires her old flame, Hank to do the job.
Together they struggle to overcome their rekindled desire while fighting to stay alive in the crosshairs of a madman.
Excerpt:
His gut twisting, his nerves stretched, Montana clenched his weapon, holding it at the ready as he continued forward. If they had any chance of rescuing the aid worker, it had to be soon. ISIS rebels had a habit of torturing and killing anyone they could use as an example, rather than hanging on to them. Prisoners only slowed the attack and hampered their determination to take everything in their paths.
The tunnel opened into the bowels of what appeared to be a warehouse.
“I feel like we’re on a wild goose chase,” Swede muttered.
“And the goose is leading us to the slaughter. Not the other way around,” Irish concurred.
They climbed a set of stairs to a huge, empty room.
“Damn,” Swede said and bent to a dark lump on the ground.
Nacho released a string of profanity in Spanish.
“We’ve found the aid worker.”
What Montana had assumed was a pile of rags, was in fact a woman, her clothes torn, her body ravaged, her face battered. Her eyes were wide open, staring up at the ceiling.
Swede knelt beside her and touched his fingers to the base of her throat.
Montana’s stomach roiled at the sight of the woman’s damaged body. He could have told Swede she was already dead. What a waste of life. And for what? “We need to get out of here.”
The sound of footsteps made Montana glance up. A man stood on a catwalk twenty feet above them. He shouted something in Pashtu, ending in Allah, pulled the pin on a grenade and tossed it into the middle of the team.
“Fuck!” Montana yanked his weapon around and shot the man. He fell to the ground, but killing him was a little too late.
The grenade rolled toward Swede, still crouched beside the woman’s body.
“Get down!” Lt. Mike shouted, and then threw himself over the grenade.
Montana shouted, “No!” as the grenade exploded beneath their leader.
The force of the concussion reverberated throughout the room, knocking Montana to the ground. His last thoughts were of the home and the girl he’d once loved.
About the Author
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is an award-winning author of stories including cowboys, intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edges of their seats. With over eighty stories in a variety of sub-genres and lengths she has published with Harlequin, Samhain, Ellora’s Cave, Kensington and Avon. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.
Guilty pleasures… We all have them, don’t we? Whether it’s putting off that boring but important task you know you need to do (ahem…taxes!) in favour of watching reality TV, or eating the last double-choc chunk cookie you were trying to save for your spouse.
Amazon: 
And I remembered exactly what inspired me to set a series in Las Vegas.
