It’s cold outside. Just the mere thought of going through the door makes me shiver. I live in Canada where winters are long, winds howl, and snow is plentiful. So here are the best ways I know how to survive winter.
Blankets. I’m bundled up in one practically all day long. Because I sit at a desk most of the day, my legs get cold. So I wrap them up. Actually, I wrap the blanket around me and wear it like a long skirt, but don’t tell anyone.
Flannel. You must have flannel or jersey cotton sheets for the bed. Regular cotton or satin are way too cold. At night I snuggle under my cozy sheets along with one quilt, two blankets, and three comforters. I also have an oversize men’s flannel shirt I wear over my turtleneck sweater during the day. Did I mention that I hate the cold?
Hot Beverage. Tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. It’s all good, especially when it’s been spiked with alcohol. Or maybe just have the alcohol.
Movies and TV shows. This is a great time to binge watch your favorite shows or maybe try something new. The nights are long and if you’re snuggled up on the couch at home you don’t have to go out in the cold.
And my favorite, of course, is books. Winter is the perfect time to curl up in a cozy chair with your favorite hot beverage and a blanket over you while you read. And old favorite or a new book…it’s all good.
And if you’re looking for something to warm you up during these cold days and nights, you might try my drakons. I mean what’s hotter than a practically immortal hunk who can spew fire when he’s pissed off.
Drakon’s Past
Blood of the Drakon, Book 4
Constance Owens has a gift for finding unique items in the most unlikely places, which comes in handy since she buys and sells artifacts and antiques for a living. When she purchases a set of four dragon statues, she has no idea just how unique they are, or that finding them will thrust her into a world of secret societies, men who think nothing of kidnapping and murder to get what they want, and dragon shifters.
Nic hasn’t survived for four thousand years by letting his guard down, and he doesn’t trust anyone except his drakon brothers. The loneliness haunting him has been getting worse since all his brothers have found their mates. And when he finds the woman his drakon recognizes instantly as his fated mate, he doubts he’ll ever have what his brothers have, because it seems she’s involved with the secret society of hunters who have been hunting and capturing his kind for hundreds of years.
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
Last year, Susan Stoker invited me to come write in her Special Forces: Operation Alpha Kindle World. I’m a fan of the lady and her writing. When she first ask, I said I would love to, BUT… Yeah, it’s always the “qualifiers” which get you. In my case, it was an overloaded writing schedule coupled with spinal issues. Still, I never forgot the invitation and as November drew closer, I found an open window of time and plunged in to write Securing Arizona.
Military romance was one of my first loves when it came to writing romance. I kicked off my career years ago with Always a Marine, and other stories. I’ve always liked lawmen, and I love my shifters, but the military hero remains special to me.
There’s nothing quite like a hero or heroine who serves their country. These are people who write a blank check with their lives on the dotted line and they do it day in and day out. Some come home whole, some come home with the scars on the outside, and more come home with the scars on the inside. These are individuals are highly trained, and often have to act restrained. They are prepared for anything and everything—and when it comes to any action adventure tale or as I like to call them, love on the run, they make some of the best conflict-equipped characters, emotionally and physically.
When it comes to romance, we expect our heroes and heroines to save the day, save the girl, save the guy—save everyone. We know our military characters have been trained, and trained, and have I mentioned, trained? They’re disciplined, they handle weapons, can do a threat assessment, and are usually loaded with oodles of determination to get the job done.
They’re also trained to compartmentalize, so when tragedy strikes as it does in Chasing Katie (shout out to the fantastic Elle James who invited me to play in her world, too), we know they are going to take an emotional hit but they won’t stay down and they won’t stop until they get their target. Throw love into the mix and it becomes a powder keg that I can’t get enough of—reading or writing wise.
If you were to ask me what I love about these types of heroes (and yes, heroines) the most, I’d answer their loyalty. There’s a camaraderie developed between people who have trained together, served together, shed blood together and even if they were never in the same unit or the same mission or even in the same room before, you can put two people who served together and the respect and understanding just seems to exist.
Emotional baggage comes with any life choice and career, but if you throw in a romantic history with a deadly threat and a reunion neither character ever imagined happening and the need to build trust on the fly? Then you’d have Guarding Gertrude.
The best part of writing military romance whether it’s a tale of battle recovery, on the run, coming home, or featuring shifters? I get to work with some of the most complicated and best characters there are.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I am 31 years old. I quit my 9-5 office job to pursue my dream job: to be a published romance author! I have a story in my head all the time. I love the characters and get excited about their lives and their love interests. I want to write stories that make the readers fall in love with these characters too. So far, I have written several short romances as a ghost writer, but “The Beach House” will be the first book I have released under my penname.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The latest book is, “The Beach House” Book 1 in The Shimmer Pointe Romance Series. This is the book that will introduce you to the wind swept and sun kissed Delaware coast town of Shimmer Pointe Beach. This is a story with strong sexy characters who have to learn to follow their hearts.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write to music. I put my headphones on and just kind of zone out into the worlds of my characters. My muse loves music. It seems to unlock my creative energy and I can write for hours, seeing the story in my head just like a movie. It’s not really an unusual habit but it is something I do frequently.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Nora Roberts, Danielle Steel, Jodi Picoult, Veronica Roth, and Mary Higgens Clark. I grew up with these great authors and their talent inspired me to want to be an author like them. I wanted to create worlds and characters that stuck with the reader long after the book was over. This is still a goal that I have in my writing career.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I am working on Book 2 in The Shimmer Pointe Romance Series, “Bad At Love” This is the story of Justin and Eve who were first introduced in Book 1 “The Beach House” Justin and Eve started their relationship with no intention of getting too emotionally involved. They each think they are content with what they have which is a very casual relationship. That all changes when a surprise shows up on Justin’s doorstep which forces him and Eve to re-evaluate their feelings for one another and decide if they can take a second chance at love.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
The best method and website for promoting my book is Twitter. It’s a great venue to reach a wide variety of readers and authors who have the same interests.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Never give up. Believe in yourself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Just keep writing and go for it. Have the confidence in yourself and in your talent to just publish your work.
What’s next for you as a writer?
To make 2018 the busiest and most exciting writing year of my life and career. I plan to release 1-2 Shimmer Pointe Romance books per month! I want to grow the series and the readership of this series.
Thanks for the chance to appear on your super blog where today I’m talking about
Authors Telling Tales and Characters Making Decisions
Authors are always asked how they get the ideas for their books and like most writers, for me it’s a combination of elements.
When it comes to plot twists and sexy scenes I let my imagination go into free fall and let fantasy take over.
Sometimes a random overheard conversation is gold and my mind races with what ifs and a story pops out of nowhere.
And ever since I was a kid, my vivid dreams and nightmares carry pieces of ideas and feelings that morph into a person caught at the center of an overwhelming crisis.
The idea for A Model Engagement came from a bunch of whys and what ifs in my head as I watched the TV news one night. Yeah I know, TV news- dangerous thing to do, right?
It was a sexual assault case, involving a powerful, famous, beloved man in media with a sterling reputation accused of sexual misconduct by an unpowerful woman—a relative nobody, well before #metoo and #timesup.
I kept thinking- why don’t people believe her? That thought sparked ideas about why and how this situation could happen and A Model Engagement was born.
In A Model Engagement, Lacey is an ex-model with a tabloid past. She keeps her sexual assault secret to protect a loved one. Then she realizes she must speak up to have any hope of making the predator pay for his crime and any chance of regaining her piece of mind.
Lacey doesn’t think she’s strong; she blames herself for her predicament, and judges herself harshly for her naiveté. Somehow she finds a courage she didn’t know she had, tells her secret to her best friend, (Sabrina from The Marriage Ultimatum) and fights back.
Where is the romance you say? In the midst this crisis, Lacey meets Connor and man does he fall hard. Connor is used to jumping in and solving everyone’s problems but he’ll do anything to be the man Lacey chooses. And Lacey learns to accept the love of a strong, swoony, teddy bear of a man while reclaiming herself.
There are no graphic scenes of sexual assault in this book.
EXCERPT:
Lacey needed to get it out before she lost her courage. “I’m happy for you, Sabrina, I really am. And I’m not trying to cut you off. It’s just, I’ve got something to say to you, and if I don’t do it real fast, I may lose my nerve.” And my dinner.
“Yeah, of course, Lacey, sure.”
Lacey cleared her throat. “Ok, I’m just going to say it because I don’t know how else to do this. Several months ago I was given a date rape drug and then I was filmed in some sort of, I don’t know, porno, and now I’m paying blackmail.” There she said it. It was sordid, it was horrible and it sounded even worse out loud than it had in her head but she’d finally told another person.
“Wh—at? What! Oh no, Lacey. Oh my God. How did this happen? Who would do such a thing…?”
It was so dark outside that Lacey could see her face reflected in the window. How weird—she didn’t look any different. Outside, beyond the window, beyond the house, nothing was visible. She couldn’t see anything but she could hear the tide beating against the rocks at the bottom of the sandy grass before retreating, then coming back to do it again. The tide grew louder until it roared in her ears like her own blood. She swayed and had to sit on the floor before she fainted. Sabrina was yelling, cursing a blue streak in her ear—who, what, when, where, why.
In contrast, Lacey’s voice when she interrupted her friend’s tirade was unnaturally calm. “Okay, here it is. Remember that photographer who said I was the front runner to be the face for that big Mon Secret campaign?”
“You mean Barry Bixby?”
“You remember.”
“Duh, of course I do. He’s theguy in fashion photography. Since I’ve gotten more into photography, I’ve become more aware of his work. Are you saying he did this? He’s so, so highly…”
“Yeah, highly regarded in the industry. I know.” Lacey put a fist under her chin, pressed her lips together but a small sound escaped.
“Not okay, you’re crying, all right sweetie, don’t make a move,” Sabrina said, “I’m coming over there right now.”
Enter my rafflecopter for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of
Lacey Reed jumps at the chance for independence with a career in the big city. But her naivety and ambition blind her to the lure of a blackmailer.
With her savings gone she has nowhere to turn when she literally runs into financier Connor Devlin.
Though dazzled by Lacey, Connor sees the desperation she tries to hide. He hires her as his fake fiancée. Now Lacey has a job and he has a bandage for a family crisis.
When the blackmailer ups the ante, Lacey resolves to face him down— no matter what the consequences.
Does that mean Lacey will lose the only man who’s ever seen who she truly is?
Charlotte O’Shay was born into a big family and married into another big family.
The drama! The noise! The inspiration!
Negotiating skills honed at the dinner table led her to a career in law. After four beautiful children joined the crowded family tree, Charlotte traded her legal career to write about happily ever afters. She lives on the far westside only 3 subway stops from where she grew up.
When Charlotte isn’t reading or writing steamy contemporaries featuring heroines in crisis and swoony heroes with issues, she’s on the hunt for that perfect pair of sunglasses.
The City of Dreams series are standalone books linked by the wedding in The Marriage Ultimatum.
Book 1, The Marriage Ultimatum ~ Sabrina & Vlad
Book 2, A Model Engagement ~ Lacey & Connor
Book 3, Their Short Term Affair ~ Honey & Jake
Facebook: https://facebook.com/charlotteoshayauthor
Now. I’d like to discuss the VERY important topic of why I cannot get The Mountain Between Us out of my head, in spite of the many negative reviews. (CAUTION: SPOILERS AHEAD)
Is it because Idris Elba takes his shirt off? Partly. Really though, it’s the cabin. The cabin where these two frozen and bedraggled people stumble in, finally get a break from fighting life or death circumstances, and the bow-chicka-wow-wows ensue.
I am a total sucker for the stranded in a cabin story. Or the stranded on an island story, or the riding out a storm in a barn story, or… you get the idea. Put two people who wouldn’t otherwise be together into a situation they can only get out of with the aid of falling in love and smexy naked times, make it even a little believable, and I’m there.
As I sit here thinking about it, honestly any good trope that is well-executed (or well subverted), will get my motor humming. Enemies to lovers? Oh, yeah. Workplace romance? Forbidden circumstances? Secret baby? Yes, even the secret baby stories. Make me love it, and I’m yours.
I’m such a sucker for the tropes, that I’ve realized I squeeze as many as I can into each book, often without really trying. They’re just so delicious, I can’t stay away. For me, if one trope is the cake (which, I mean, who doesn’t love cake??), then two are the frosting, three are the sprinkles, and the more sprinkles the merrier.
Now I’m hungry. Anyone else dying for cake now?
In my upcoming book, DON’T LET GO, I’ve managed all sorts of many-layered goodness. I couldn’t be more excited. There’s an alpha male (two, actually), an emotional love-hate situation, a fake relationship, a fling, a touch of class warfare, a playboy, a protector, a run at revenge, a super-delicious May-December kind of thing, and IMO the best? A road trip, during which they become temporarily stranded (YESSS!!!).
Quite a lot of sprinkles on that cake, and I hope you’ll enjoy digging in.
So tell me: What are your favorite cak—Uh, topping—Uh, tropes? Ok seriously, I gotta go bake a cake now, people.
Left behind by everyone he’s ever loved, Alonzo Grover lives as if he’s got no tomorrow. The discovery of a letter from his deceased boyfriend breaks him out of his rut and spurs him to right an old wrong, but the local stick-in-the-mud sheriff’s lieutenant seems determined to ruin his plans.
Lieutenant Sebastian Haas despises tangling with his small town’s most promiscuous party kid. Alonzo’s youth and recklessness drive him crazy in more ways than one… So does the uncomfortable secret they share. But when Haas’s estranged family arrives in town to throw a wedding he wants no part of, he jumps into Alonzo’s car to avoid the family drama.
Together, they wind up on an unexpected road trip. With one setback after another, it looks like they might kill each other before they make it home to Evergreen Grove. That is, unless they find something better to do than fight.
I’m about to turn and leave when the door slams in against the wall and I find Sebastian Haas, local sheriff’s lieutenant and town hard-ass, giving me the stare down. His blue eyes glitter with the help of the bar’s twinkly fairy lights, serving me a look that’s half “Don’t fuck with me” and half “Can U Handle It?”
“Mr. Grover. Staying out of trouble this evening?”
Everything about this guy pushes my buttons. Can’t stand his perfect cop face. Can’t stand the way he pulls off the world’s ugliest green uniform thanks to a jaw that could crush rocks and a body with no signs of a donut fetish. This guy is the biggest fake goody-goody I’ve met. And I’ve met a lot of fake people in my time. The system is full of liars, let me tell you.
“Maybe you’ll want to help me get into some trouble. Eh, Lieutenant Haas?”
Yeah, I know. You’re supposed to be respectful around law enforcement. My buddy Tyler warns me all the time about the consequences of my attitude, even though I learned that lesson when I was eight. But there’s something about Lieutenant Haas.
He brings out all my ugly, as my old friend, Ruthie, would have said.
Sometimes it’s just the way he stares. He seems out of place in this little town, looking like the product of a science experiment where Channing Tatum and Matt Bomer got smashed together into one person. Then that person put on a cop uniform that fits extra tight through the backside. And then acts so uptight, he could blow diamonds from his asshole.
For real, how can a man so hot be such a bucket of cold water?
Elisabeth Staab used to be the kid who loved getting grounded because there were mystery novels in her bedroom. One day reading romances saved her life, and now she writes them, because the world needs more happy endings. Keep in touch by signing up for her newsletter, or stopping by ElisabethStaab.com.
First, thank you, Delilah, for letting me take over the blog. I’m so happy to be here!
Now let’s talk about the royal wedding. As a romance author (and reader) I feel like I’m more invested in the upcoming royal wedding than the average person. It’s like a romance book come to life. They are so adorable together; you can see their love and adoration for each other in every interview and photo they do. I wish I could post a few pictures as examples, but I don’t have the budget for it 😉
And I realize Meghan Markle is a smart and accomplished woman in her own right, but I can’t help but see shades of Cinderella in their love story. She went from a regular American girl to (in a few months) marrying a prince. Granted, in between she became a successful actress and earnest humanitarian, but still. She’s an American citizen who will be marrying a prince.
And Harry! He’s just so cute with his mischievous smile and ginger hair. He feels like the most approachable and relatable of the royal family. Between his Vegas shenanigans (playing strip pool) and his serious job in the military fighting for freedom, he has all the makings of a romance hero. (And this is making me want to write a yummy ginger military hero.)
So I for one will definitely be tuning in May 19 when Harry and Meghan tie the knot. Are you excited for the royal wedding?
In the meantime to satisfy your royal cravings, check out my new release with Loveswept, Reluctantly Royal, out now!
A bad-boy prince is tamed by a vivacious American beauty in this charming love story.
Officially, the world knows me as His Royal Highness Prince Lucien of Monaco, but you can call me Luc. A long time ago, I vowed never to let my heritage stand in the way of a good time. Now the party’s over.
With the death of my father and my twin brother, I’ve lost a part of my soul—and my freedom. My heartless older brother tells me that not only do I have to settle down, I need to marry a girl with the right bloodlines. AKA, a princess. Yeah, I’ll get right on that . . . after one last trip to Vegas.
That’s where I meet Hannah. Not only is she gorgeous and down-to-earth, she reminds me what it’s like to live completely in the moment. Plus she has no idea who I really am. Hanging out with the locals, I feel like I can just be myself again. Besides, our chemistry is undeniable—especially after we take things to the next level.
What happens in Vegas is special, and I don’t want it to stay there. But I’ve been keeping a secret that will tear us apart. The last thing I expect, though? Hannah’s been keeping a secret of her own . . . one that might just bring us together.
Gillian Archer has a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering but prefers to spend her time on happily ever after. She writes the kind of stories she loves to read—the hotter the better! When she’s not pounding away on the keyboard, she can be found surfing the couch, indulging in her latest reality TV fixation, or baking something ridiculously tasty (and horrible for her waist line). Gillian Archer lives in the wilds of Nevada with her amazing husband, gorgeous new baby, and goofy dog.
Timing is everything. Several years ago, a famous actress passed away. As I pondered her career and beauty, I got inspired to write a story about a mermaid, a human heroine, and the quest for revenge against a man who’d hurt her. Unfortunately, I wrote only a few chapters before shelving it. It wasn’t the right time, I guess.
Fast forward a few years and Decadent Publishing’s Wiccan Haus series caught my interest. Having already written three shared-world stories for them, I couldn’t resist adding to the series. Someone I met and some rough life experiences gave me the fuel I needed to write a different version of the story. One I had no trouble finishing. It’s finally time to release it!
Turning the Tide: A Siren’s Revenge
Book #25 Wiccan Haus Series Release Date: 19 January 2018
After a year of unemployment, Daphne Wells comes to Wiccan Haus to learn hydrotherapy for a new career as a healer. When her assigned patient turns out to be the sexy ex-boss who laid her off, resentment gets in the way of healing.
Giovanni Denaro arrives at Wiccan Haus, desperate to find a cure for the debilitating tension that threatens his high-level financial career. But after some intimate healing sessions, everything loses value except his need for Daphne’s forgiveness.
When a mermaid, filled with her own bitterness, offers Daphne a chance to get revenge on the man who ruined her life, will she dare to turn the tide?
“I had Myron give me a reading about the stock market. Apparently, it fell a lot today.”
“Hello? It’s been doing that for years.” She raised an eyebrow. “It always rallies, doesn’t it? Are you sure nothing else is bothering you?”
Nothing but the truth. The ugly reality that would turn her gentle eyes into hard pools of hatred. He couldn’t help crying out as the biggest cramp yet squeezed his body. She crouched over him on the stone bench, one leg on either side of him.
After crying out, too, she collapsed on top of him and laid her damp cheek against his. “Tell me what to do for you,” she said in a strangled whisper. “Or I’m calling the guys.”
Having her weight on him made breathing even harder, but feeling her soft skin was worth it.
“Kiss me,” he whispered back.
Her mouth covered his so fast it stole what little breath he’d managed to draw. Her lips were salty with tears. Nothing had ever tasted so good. He drank from her—her love, her healing, her very essence.
She shifted her pelvis, sliding it over his hardening cock. When the indentation in her blue terry cloth shorts contacted the head, he pushed, needing to enter her more than breath.
“I need—” he gasped.
“What?” When she dragged her torso across his chest, he felt her erect nipples through both their shirts. “Anything, Giovanni. I’ll do anything for you.”
Instead of replying with words, he forced his hand down the back of her shorts and gripped the sweet curve of her buttocks. The scent of her arousal mingled with the misty air, impossible to ignore.
“Yes,” she cried, swinging a knee to one side of him and tugging down her shorts.
His groin clenched at the sight of her wet panties. Knowing he’d aroused her so much gave him ten times more power than running a high-level board meeting. With one hand, he pulled up her white tank top so it rested above her breasts. With the other, he helped her out of her shorts and panties.
He’d never grow tired of gazing at the thatch of neatly shaved hair between her legs. It looked as businesslike as the suits she used to wear to work. How often had he fantasized about undressing her when he was her boss? Now he knew how those tantalizing dark hairs felt and tasted slipping across his tongue.
One by one, his muscles eased their tension from pain to anticipation. His cock was so wet with pre-cum when she grasped it, her palm slid to his balls in a single stroke. Although his neck still hurt, he lifted his head to gaze at her rosy nipples and the puckered skin around them. Droplets of mist from the hot water spring jet on their side of the pool dotted her smooth skin, making her resemble a goddess.
“Protection,” he muttered, letting his head drop back to the hard bench with a smack. “We don’t have any.”
“Yes, we do.” With a hand still on his cock, she rummaged in the nearby towel cabinet with the other. “They’re hidden in here.”
She wouldn’t have known exactly where they were unless she’d considered using them with him. More pre-cum pooled on the head of his erection. Finally having her, after years of lusting for her, was more than a fair exchange for missing critical time from work.
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Right now, I am working on Book 2 in The Shimmer Pointe Romance Series, “Bad At Love” This is the story of Justin and Eve who were first introduced in Book 1 “The Beach House” Justin and Eve started their relationship with no intention of getting too emotionally involved. They each think they are content with what they have which is a very casual relationship. That all changes when a surprise shows up on Justin’s doorstep which forces him and Eve to re-evaluate their feelings for one another and decide if they can take a second chance at love.
