Labor Day Lament

I’m so excited and honored to have the opportunity to visit at Delilah’s blog. Every time I come here I look around in awe. Isn’t her website great?

I’m all caught up in a new release today and waiting for my bestie and her husband to come hang out with us for a week,  and why is it that just when I get into the fun of summer, it ends? I know we still have time before the Equinox, but everyone knows Labor Day is the effective end of summer. And the time I make my resolutions for the next one.

Next summer…I will go to the beach more often, swim every day! Well, every other day. I will get up extra early to go hike the Ascot Hills so I don’t make the excuse that it’s too hot and end up staying inside with a good book.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I can hike early/read later. Right?

I will grow a lot more veggies so I can eat all the incredible tomatoes and zucchini I want. And force the baseball bat-sized summer squash on my unsuspecting neighbors when I forget to pick them on time.

And watch my nephews do all the summer things while they are little enough not to remember summer has an end and it will get cold soon.

But I am so glad for the books I’ve had the opportunity to read, and the fun I’ve had writing my own. And so, with one weekend left of “official” summer, I have huge plans. I will go swimming tomorrow in a mountain lake. Sunday, the Tri-County Fair with my entire extended family. Hope they are ready for us. And Monday, the hubs is smoking enough meat to feed half the town. We’ll eat and drink and toast this summer and look forward to the fall.

With all its own fun and beauty and charm. The aspen trees with their shivery leaves are already starting to change color way up in the highest Sierras…I won’t want to miss that.

I’d love to hear what you did this summer, and we will select one commenter to win a copy of my brand spanking new release, Switch, and a ten-dollar Amazon gift card to buy some fall snacks to enjoy while reading it. Or summer snacks…any snacks you like. Just enjoy.

Here is a little bit of Switch, to whet your appetite:

“This can’t be the place.” The sun glinted off the block of glass and stone condos, blinding Esme. “Why would someone who specializes in spanking lessons set up shop in the center of town?”

Rick chuckled. “What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. A dingy storefront on a side street, maybe a battered warehouse?” She fidgeted in her seat, restless and anxious.

“Somewhere with big rats?” Rick stepped out of the car, and the valet took his place. “I don’t think he’s ashamed of what he does, baby.” He pulled a card from his pocket and glanced at it then came around to her side and opened the door. “The address is correct. 401 E. Burlington Avenue. P3. In such a fancy building, I suspect P3 is a penthouse.”

Helping her out of the car. One of many courtesies he’d instilled in their routine as part of their new lifestyle. She tried to adjust, but it never quite felt natural. Maybe in time. Read the rest of this entry »

See what’s listed as “popular” in the lower right corner! Squee! Do you have your copy of Smokin’ Hot Firemen?

Yeah, that’s all I stopped in to say. A quick tease as I blitz through the last of Crescent Moon this week and next. I’m keeping my head down, trying to make writing Priority #1. It’s hard with a new baby, a daughter who needs help, and me wishing I could sit in my art room and paint and bead away…

Have you seen my latest creations? No? Head over to Pinterest!

ACTION!

First, I’m so pleased to be here with you very talented ladies. I know several of you personally, and the others I’ll get better acquainted with as we go along. What an adventure, huh, gals?

My blog is about what I know best. I’m not an outstanding wordsmith, as you’ll soon discover, but I know action. How to build it, use it and how it keeps the reader turning the page. If you don’t know by now, you can pretty much assume I write Romantic Suspense. I’ve just finished my third book in the Falcon Series, OUT OF THE NIGHT.

I write each book quickly. Down and dirty, some call it, but I prefer, ‘getting the action down on paper’. Well, actually a computer screen, but you know what I mean. By doing this, I pretty much know where my story is going, until the last third of the book. I never write the end until I’m completely finished with the first part of the story. That means I might write two hundred and seventy-seven pages before I even think about how I’m going to end the story. The last part of the book is where all the subplots are tied up nicely, the black moment hits, and then the resolution pulls the story to an end.

All through the book I keep the action very high by constantly having my main characters in danger. In other words, they’re pretty much running for their lives throughout the whole book. I do this by having both characters fighting to save whatever is at stake. And I make it big. I feel if you are going to write Romantic Suspense, make it big, meaningful and full of action. Yes, it’s a love story, but we all know they are going to end up with the happy ever after, so, make them work for it. Make them work hard. Take away what they value most and put it in peril, or completely destroy it.

Action is the best vessel to make your readers care. Have your alpha males get the crap beat out of him, get shot, or make a wrong move that jeopardizes the one person he cares for the most. But, never let your characters give in, or give up. You know when you’re watching a movie or a TV show, and the good guy and the bad guy are both facing off, and the bad guy tells the good guy to throw down his weapon, and he does? That’s called stupidity, or extremely lazy writing. Have a hero tough enough, brave enough, and good enough to take that kill shot.

Men of action are what dreams are made of. They run forward when others run away, they think quickly, rationally and intuitively. In all my books I force my heroes to face their worst fears and come out better. They live on the edge and can’t afford to back down for that would mean death and destruction to our country. They fight, struggle and win, because action is their middle name.

I hope you’ll check out my books, OUT OF THE DARK, OUT OF THE SHADOWS and OUT OF THE NIGHT.

Below is an excerpt from my first book OUT OF THE DARK: Mac and Emily’s first brush with danger.

Suddenly, the door to their room crashed open and two guys rushed in. They were armed and ready to kill.

Glock in hand, Mac fired twice. Before the intruder’s eyes could adjust to the dim light, they were dead.

When Emily didn’t respond quickly enough, Mac jumped off the bed and grabbed her arm. “We have to leave now. It’s going to get real ugly.”

“What?” she screamed. “This isn’t ugly?”

“I’ve seen worse.” He released her arm.

Obviously, she hadn’t. No doubt, nothing like this ever happened in the normal world, especially hers. With her nice orderly life, Mac figured she’d probably never witnessed anything firsthand worse than a broken nail.

 “What’s going on?” Emily had her hands to her mouth, her eyes the size of saucers.

“Nothing. Get the pilot on the phone. We leave now.”  Grabbing what he could, Mac snatched up his bag and threw in an assault rifle that belonged to one of the Russians, then Emily’s briefcase, laptop and purse.

Shouldering the bag, he jammed his Glock in the back of his waistband. He took her cell phone off the dresser, handed it to her and repeated, “Get the pilot on the phone while we move.”

Mac inched around the corner where the door used to be and checked the well-lit, carpeted hall. Clear.

Taking Emily by the hand, he led her out behind him. They darted for the stairwell. Security would investigate the sound of gunfire, and Mac didn’t want to be anywhere around when that happened. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: The winner of the Amazon gift card is Melissa Porter!

* * * * *

I’m so excited to be here at Delilah’s blog today. Most of you probably don’t now that when I was just starting my career she was one of the most influential people and a strong guiding force. She taught me so much and pointed me in the right direction so many times. I know I wouldn’t be here today, with Book #3 in my Naked Cowboys series, if not for all the help she gave me. So thanks, D, for everything you’ve done and for hosting me today.

Note: Be sure to leave a comment because one lucky person will be the winner of a $10 GC from Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Sometimes when you least expect it you can find a naked cowboy to lick your wounds. Especially of you are Stripped Naked!

Taking over as publisher of The Hill Country Herald was supposed to help Jinx Malone put her personal and professional disasters in New York behind her. Instead, she’s barely settled at her desk when news of a murder hits the police scanner.

Who knew Rowan County could be this exciting? And who knew her first story would bring her into head-butting, hormone-pumping contact with something that’s an even bigger pain in her ass than a cheating ex—a know-it-all cop?

Sheriff Dillon Cross thought retreating to Rowan Country would help him get over a bad case of burnout. But only a few weeks into his job, he’s standing over a dead body in a ditch, arguing with his least favorite thing: a sexy, in-your-face reporter.

Before they’re through buzzing around each other like angry hornets, the last thing either expected happens. They’re in bed, burning up the sheets. But is it a new beginning, or just a bad rerun of past mistakes?

Just like two days ago and just like earlier tonight, he didn’t seem to be able to get anywhere near Jinx Malone let alone touch her without wanting to rip off her clothes and plunge himself inside her very sexy body. As he guided her up the steps to the porch, he wondered if she was having the same reaction.

When they stopped at the front door, Jinx slipped the narrow strap of her purse from her shoulder to fetch her keys. At the same time, she turned toward him and his hands automatically lifted to rest on her shoulders. She looked up at him, a quizzical expression on her face, and it seemed the most natural thing for him to lean down and brush his lips against hers. She quivered beneath his touch, her breath hitching.

Before he could change his mind or give her a chance to change hers, he deepened the kiss, tracing the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened and let him in. God, she tasted like everything sweet he’d ever had in his life. He licked every inner surface, wanting to swallow her whole. He tightened his grip on her, not wanting to give her the chance to pull away, but she surprised him by clutching at his arms. He slid his fingers up through the silk of her hair, cupping her head and tilting it one way then another to give the kiss a better angle. And when she opened her mouth, her own small tongue thrust forward to dance erotically with his.

He broke the kiss only when his breath ran out. Lifting his head, he stared at Jinx through lust-fogged eyes. She had a startled expression on her face and her gaze was locked with his. The pulse at the hollow of her throat beat furiously and he was sure the heat radiating from her body singed his skin.

“What…what was that?” Her voice was shaky.

“I don’t know, but I think I’m gonna do it again.”

This time he took her mouth with unrestrained hunger, plundering it with his tongue, sealing his lips to hers as if he’d never let her go. All rational thought left his mind as he pressed her close to him. It took a moment for him to realize that her hands were pushing at his chest and she was trying to twist away from him. Shaking the fog from his brain, he backed away a step.

“Sorry.” He cleared his throat and tried again. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

But she was already opening the door and grabbing his hand to drag him inside.

“One of us is crazy,” she said in a husky voice. “I’m hoping it’s me. And that I’ll wake up in the morning and be able to pretend I didn’t make a fool of myself.”

“That’s for tomorrow.” His heart raced as he realized she didn’t mean to send him away after all. He tried to think of what to say, but all the blood in his head seemed to have headed south to his groin. Unwilling to give her a chance to have second thoughts, he swept her up in his arms and headed for the stairs. He halted at the top. “Which way?”

She pointed to a room at the end of the hallway. He nudged the door open with his foot, carried her inside and set her down beside the bed. Weaving his fingers through the strands of her hair again, he touched his mouth to hers and licked the outline. He wanted nothing more than to tear her clothes off and throw her on the bed.

Slow, asshole. Don’t give her a reason to change her mind. This is a woman to savor and worship, so don’t fuck it up.

Dillon couldn’t believe how impatient his body was or how ravenous he was for her. But tearing off her clothes in three seconds wasn’t his style, and he didn’t want to start now. Especially with this woman. He tasted her lips then trailed his tongue across the smoothness of her cheek to the tender spot behind her ear. With his teeth, he drew a faint line along the column of her neck, biting very gently where her neck and shoulder met. She shivered at his touch and a soft little moan drifted from her mouth.

Where can you find the book?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Samhain

Where can you find me?

www.desireeholt.com
desiremeonly.com
Twitter:   @desireeholt
Facebook: desireeholtauthor
Pinterest:   desiree02holt

Members Only Swag

I’m going to my first book convention in October. #RCon13 (Romanticon) in Ohio put on by Ellora’s Cave. Complete with cavemen. Woo Hoo!!!!

And it’s not only my first convention, but it’s my first book signing too. Me…little ol’ Jennifer Kacey is going to be signing book flats for Together in Cyn, and maybe even Haleigh’s Ink if we can get it out that fast. I CAN’T WAIT!!!

So, I’ve had to narrow the list down on swag items I’d like to bring and be able to pass out to the readers, and authors, and fans. I just typed fans – HA! That’s a hoot!

Okay, so swag…I’ve got loads of ideas. Like seriously, sticky note upon sticky note of naughty items I’d like to have custom printed. Bottles of lube, Goodhead mints, nipple claps, pens, trading cards, just to name a few. Love the idea of my name on naughty items people will take home and talk about, or Facebook and talk about, or pinterest, or instagram, or tweet. Lots of options here.

I’ve heard some crazy good ideas but it seems they are either really expensive or everyone already offers it and I want to do something unique.

I’m looking for ideas from you the readers so I can narrow down my list some more, by like half.

Ooh…and since we’re talking about swag let’s make a contest out of it. I’ll pick one lucky poster to win a 2013 Ellora’s Cave Bad Girls of Romance Card Deck and a little something extra from me – ‘cause naughty makes the world go ‘round.

Seriously, it does. I read it on the internet somewhere. **GRINS**

Here’s a pic of the card deck with some of the yummy titles you’ll find from some of your favorite naughty authors like Sabrina York, Brynn Paulin and Laurann Dohner. Together in Cyn is the King of Clubs for obvious reasons. YUMMY!

So…if you go to a convention, what swag do you want to go home with, and more importantly what do you leave sitting on the table because you’ve seen it, grabbed it, tossed it in the round file?

Let me know and you just might win!

Members Only, Book One

She knows it’s wrong. Cyn shouldn’t have feelings for fraternal twins Jared and Chris, her best friends. She shouldn’t want them to tie her up or strap her down, to take her one at a time—or together. The only way to control her taboo desires is to write them down and lock them away in her diary. Guys like Jared and Chris could never be interested in someone like her, or in the kind of sex she craves.

But Jared and Chris have read her diary, and sweet little Cyn is in for the shock of her life. The brothers not only own a members-only BDSM club, they want her. Need her. And now, with their unlimited funds and an entire establishment devoted to fulfilling her darkest pleasures, they’re going to claim Cyn for their own.

Inside Scoop: If you have a kink, this book probably has it too. If you like your ménage romances extra hot with a side of male-male romance, spanking, voyeurism and girl-on-girl action, come and get it.

A Romantica® BDSM erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Buy Links below and others on the TIC webpage along with an Excerpt

Amazon

Ellora’s Cave

Barnes and Noble

Website – https://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Jennifer Kacey is a wife, mother, and business owner living with her family in Texas. She sings in the shower, plays piano in her dreams, and has to have a different color of nail polish every week. The best advice she’s ever been given? Find the real you and never settle for anything less.

UPDATE: The winner of the free download is Angel M!

* * * * *

I’m back at home, sitting at my own desk, after being at my dd’s for a week helping with the new baby. Miss them both, but damn, I’ve got a stack of work to catch up on!

When I read the theme for this week’s snippet, one story popped immediately into my mind. Gabe’s a cop who doesn’t want to leave a grieving wife and family behind, so he refuses to commit to a permanent relationship. Jolie is his favorite, and lately only, squeeze, and she’s tired of the fact he drops by for only one thing. She’s in love with the big lug, but isn’t about to be a doormat. She gives him an ultimatum, either they marry or he gets the hell out of her life. And she has one more trick up her sleeve.

The scene I’m showing you here never fails to make me smile. It’s one of the funniest I’ve ever written. Enjoy.

 If you post a comment today, you’ll be entered to win
a free download of this book!

“Ms. Devlin will have readers laughing one minute and screaming the next… Bad, Bad Girlfriend is a witty, heart pounding smoking hot read that is a must have.” ~5 Angels, Fall Angels Reviews

“Bad, Bad Girlfriend is just plain fun!… A great quickie from a great author.” ~5 Stars, Just Erotic Romance

“My emotions ran wild while reading Bad, Bad Girlfriend… Don’t miss this mischievous woman’s attempts to secure her man’s love. I had a fantastic time reading Jolie and Gabe’s story.” ~5 Silver Dragons, Veiled Secrets Reviews

Expect magic when one determined woman dons a legendary pair of red stilettos and bares body and heart to get her man’s attention…

Jolene’s a big, beautiful woman with an even bigger heart. But she’s become her police officer boyfriend’s favorite doormat and that’s so not working for her. It’s time for a little conversation, time to tell Mr. Happy Pants to “pee or get off the pot”.

Gabriel has seen what his profession does to marriages. He’s not willing to risk that kind of heartbreak. Besides, he likes what he has with Jolene. The woman is sex personified. So when Jolie tells him she won’t see him anymore if he’s not willing to commit, he’s shocked and angry.

With a girlfriend’s encouragement and the added confidence a certain pair of red stilettos gives her, Jolene arranges a special show at a strip club to prove to Gabe once and for all that she’s more woman than any man can handle, and if he doesn’t want the job, then she’ll find another lover who does.

Jolie heard the music, tried to catch the beat, but she’d never been so scared, so embarrassed in her life.

She knew she’d made a huge mistake the minute she’d entered the stripper’s dressing room. Lexie had ushered her in after Guppy, the skinny, bespectacled manager of the strip club, let them in the back door and showed them to the women’s dressing room. She already wore her costume under a tightly belted trench coat, but getting her first up-close look at the other women awaiting their turns on the stage made her lose her nerve.

She turned back toward the exit.

Lexie stood behind her, her arms crossed over her chest. “No you don’t. Not after I paid him a hundred dollars to let you do this!”

“You paid him?”

Lexie shrugged. “He prefers professionals, but he’s not above a bribe.” Read the rest of this entry »

When I decided to make the heroine of EDEN’S SIN a prostitute, I found some very interesting facts—and some sad and disgusting facts. Today I wanted to give you a peek into life for a
“working girl” in the 1800’s Old West.

Miss Kitty Lied

Oh, Miss Kitty, how you deceived us all. Remember Gunsmoke and Sheriff Matt Dillon’s main squeeze? Perfect silk dress, perfectly styled red curls – perfect beauty mark. How clean and wonderful the life of a Wild West saloon girl must have been. . .

*insert sound of screeching brakes here*

Um, no. Let’s look at some facts. In descending order there were: Parlor Houses, Brothels, Cribs. Even in a Parlor House *think 5 star hotel* where a night of food, fun and the other “F” word might cost a man $200+, the girl only averaged $10 per week because of the cut the Madam (or the house) took the rest to cover the costs of food, wine and the girl’s room and board.

Brothel girls could make $2.50 – $7.00 per customer, but she had to pay room and board out of this plus any other expenses she had. Oh, and Brothels were significantly less grand than a Parlor House. Parlor houses the girl probably spent the entire night with one man and her sheets were changed afterward. Brothel girls saw more “traffic” and her sheets might be changed once per week.

Cribs were a closet-like space where the girls lived and worked. She would rent this room for $10-$20 per week. She charged a man as little as 25 cents depending on how dirty or run-down she and/or her crib was. Her profit was in volume. In a cattle or mining town, she would little more than stay in bed as the men lined up outside her door. Normally, a crib nymph would see 20 to 30 men per night. During a cattle drive, she could see as many as 75 to 100 men per night. And no clean sheets here. She put a rain slicker over the bottom of her bed to protect the sheets from mud and cow manure since the cowboy might take off his hat, but not his boots or pants. Volume, remember?

Yes, there were Saloon Girls who could just serve drinks, but they could also “go upstairs” for extra money. And Dance Hall Girls, yes, they were there, earning 12 ½ cents per dance. But all in all after researching this topic, I have to say, Miss Kitty lied to us. What do you think?

*All statistics were found in UPSTAIRS GIRLS: Prostitution in the American West by Michael Rutter

THANK YOU for stopping by today!

Jennifer Jakes is the author of sensual erotic romance. Her award-winning debut novel, RAFE’S REDEMPTION, a historical western, is #1 Kindle Best Seller, as did her novella, TWICE IN A LIFETIME.

Her latest release, EDEN’S SIN, is now available at Amazon.
RAFE’S REDEMPTION : Amazon  |  TWICE IN A LIFETIME Amazon
Find out more about Jennifer at www.jenniferjakes.com