First of all, thanks to Delilah for having me on her awesome blog! I hope everyone is having a holiday season filled with the unique joy and generosity of spirit that is so close to the surface this time of year. I know I am!

I wanted to write about inspiration—my wickedly fun journey to becoming an author of erotica—so I thought back, trying to determine the specific moment that ultimately sent me down this path. And it took me waaay back!

Studying English Literature in the hallowed, scholarly halls of the small college I attended, I read (and loved) Shakespeare, Spenser, Milton and Donne. I practically spoke and dreamed in iambic pentameter. Then I was given D.H. Lawrence as assigned reading.

I had heard of him, sure. And was intrigued, as young Aurora always was, by the fact that some of his books had been banned. I figured his writing was probably pretty tame by modern standards. Maybe there’d be a “damn” or some off-color remark by a character. When I read Lady Chatterley’s Lover, though, I was shocked. My mouth dropped open and I reread the first sex scene a couple of times to be sure I wasn’t imagining it. He used the word cunt. With abandon. With love. His descriptions of fucking, of the hero’s cock and the heroine’s cunt (nicknamed John Thomas and Lady Jane) were everything that I thought should be vulgar. But instead, they were wonderful. Intimate. Gloriously beautiful. Romantic.

D.H. Lawrence and his “four-letter Anglo-Saxon words” (description used by a New York judge about Lady) opened up a dimension of reading and romance to me that truly expanded my mind. Maybe even made me a better person. That’s the power of literature. To affect readers so deeply that you change them just a little bit. I wanted to do that, too.

I still think about D.H.’s words today when I’m writing. When some part of me hesitates a little at pressing the keys to type some of the descriptive words that appear in erotic writing, some other, wilder part of me swoops in and says, “Do it. That’s the right word for it. That’s the word you want.” Those words can be rough and raw, but brimming with passion.

I think the wildness is part of what draws me to writing about shapeshifters. The shapeshifters in my stories have their animalistic natures barely held inside of them, crouched and ready to pounce. It sounds kind of like a curse, and in some ways it is, but in other ways, they live life more fully. They lead the heroines to embrace their lives with greater passion, courage and love, too.

Ivan Dorogev, the Russian werebear hero in my Stocking Stuffer story, Upon a Midnight Bear, has a rough exterior even as a human man. As a werebear, he can fully manifest that wildness. But his eyes always show the tenderness he has inside of him, as a bear or as a man.

Here’s a little taste of Upon a Midnight Bear, which is truly a fun holiday treat. I hope you’ll love reading about Ivan and Serena as much as I loved writing about them:

Walking home, she had to pass by what her Poppy had called the Upstart Houses. A flutter of pleasure and excitement coursed through her when she saw that her neighbor had chosen that exact time to come out to get his mail from the mailbox next to the road. She slowed her steps a little bit, taking in the view. And Good Lord, he was worth getting a little chilly for.

Ivan Dorogev was tall and muscular, with dark eyes and a face that was as handsome as it was rugged. He wasn’t wearing a coat—presumably he hadn’t taken the time to put one on just to dash out of the house—and she could see his huge muscles moving under his dark sweater and jeans. She’d noticed before that he had a slight limp, but it didn’t prevent him from moving with a surprising grace for such a large man. His limp, and the indefinable air of sadness that always seemed to hover around him, made him just imperfect enough to draw her in even further. What had brought him to Greening? And why did he often seem so alone?

Serena didn’t realize she’d stopped walking until he raised his hand in a wave. Her heart pounded as she raised one arm back, unable to really achieve a full wave with her hand in her heavy coat and mittens. Had he noticed her staring? Practically drooling? She really, really hoped not.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B018SQHGQ8
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Aurora_Russell_Upon_a_Midnight_Bear?id=KW4UCwAAQBAJ&hl=en
Ellora’s Cave: https://www.ellorascave.com/product/upon-a-midnight-bear/

About Aurora Russell

Aurora is originally from the frozen tundra of the upper-Midwest (ok, not frozen all the time!) but now loves living in New England with her real-life hero/husband, wonderfully silly son, and two of the most extraordinary cats she has ever had the pleasure to meet. But she still goes back to the Midwest to visit, just never in January.

She doesn’t remember a time that she didn’t love to read, and has been writing stories since she learned how to hold a pencil. She has always liked the romantic scenes best in every book, story, and movie, so one day she decided to try her hand at writing her own romantic fiction, which changed her life in all the best ways.

Website: https://aurorarussellauthor.wordpress.com/

So…I write a lot but I also work a lot. I also happen to be a kink girl, as in real life kink. 50 Shades has NOTHING on some of the things I get to experience. A while ago I got this idea for a book I didn’t have time to write, so of course I decided to write it. *GRINS* But I’m doing it a bit different this time. All together it’s going to be somewhere between 90K and 100K which really means 115K since I always add more sex. You’re welcome!

But something I run into is there is never enough time in the day. Ever. Especially if you have to sleep. And reading a huge book like this one is going to be is super hard for me to find time for. As in…non-existent. I decided for all the busy people out there like me I’d split this book into 9 stories to show the kink relationship blossom between a couple who already love each other deeply. Each story is incredibly dirty and you can read one and then walk away….to find a buddy…to take care of business!!YEA for smutty goodness!!

Series Blurb:
The Fantasies A-Z Series is a serial release all featuring Aslan and Zeke. A married couple looking for more and finding it in the arms of each other. There will be nine stories total, with one being released every couple months. Short kinky stories meant to tantalize and excite you. May you fall in love with love and everything that word means to your fantasies…

Aslan’s Stranger – Book One is out now!!! And you know what that means…..A CONTEST!!! Comment below on one of your fantasies. Something you’d LOVE to get to do but haven’t had the chance yet. OR a fantasy you’ve gotten to fulfill that rocked your world.

I’ll pick my favorite to receive a brand SPANKING new e-book copy of Aslan’s Stranger!! And please leave your email in your comment with some spaces in it. I’ve had a rash of winners that I haven’t been able to get in touch with and nothing is worse than trying to give stuff away and can’t. Here’s a taste of Aslan’s Stranger while you think about the fantasy you’re going to tell me about. And you never know…maybe it will show up later in the series….*GRINS*

Kinky sex with a stranger. One of Aslan’s deepest fantasies. To fulfill it, only one man will do. Her husband.

Wanting more, needing it, craving a kinky edge to sex is exactly what Aslan lives with every day. Days and months and years of unfulfilled fantasies filtered down to one life-altering decision.

Approach the sexy man sitting at the bar or walk away? Keep trying to fit into the mold she’s been told to conform to or find herself lost somewhere in the gray? Close the seemingly insurmountable distance between wishes and reality or let her dreams go? Once and for all.

Everything she’s ever hungered for sits within her reach if the one man she trusts to take her there will finally let his monster free.

Her Stranger. Her fantasy. Her husband.

To find her forever she must give it all to him. Her fears, her power and her consent. One night is all she’s asking for but what she gets in return will change their lives…forever.

Buy  at Amazon | B&N | Smashwords | KOBO | ARe Cafe | IBooks

Hope you love it!!!

Mwah!!

Decadently Yours,
Jennifer Kacey

Need something to wet your whistle while you wait to see if you won goodies??

May I suggest a delicious bite out of the Members Only series…….. 😛

The books in the Members Only Series can be found here…
Together In Cyn
Haleigh’s Ink
A Very Ménage Christmas
Duke’s Valentine
Orgasm University
Accidental Voyeur
Roman’s To-Do List
Jenna’s Consent
Laila’s Lies

Other Novels By Jennifer Kacey
Buried Permission
Beneath the Pages
Nico’s Curse
Elite Metal – Book one in the Elite Warriors Series
Elite Ghosts – Book two in the Elite Warriors Series
Final Surrender – The Surrender Series
Violet’s Shadow – The Shadow Mates Series
Aslan’s Stranger – Fantasies A-Z Series

Jennifer Kacey is a writer, mother, and business owner living with her miniman 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.

Website – https://www.jenniferkacey.com/
Newsletter – https://jenniferkacey.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f09bd32b8c279cebcc930950e&id=2a45c210e8
Blog – The Decadent Divas – https://www.thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.kacey.7
Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/jenniferkaceyauthor
Twitter – https://twitter.com/JenniferKacey
Amazon Page – https://www.amazon.com/Jennifer-Kacey/e/B00GXHUB30/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d9_al1?_encoding=UTF8&refinementId=618073011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0G8ZPDQJVKJPKXNBRY10&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6941549.Jennifer_Kacey
Pinterest – https://pinterest.com/jenniferkacey/

Calan (Huntsman)
Recipe created by: Nancy Corrigan
Hunter Deceived, Wild Hunt book 1

Start with One Demigod. Then add:

• A bit of stubble along his jaw
• Wavy, unkempt black hair
• Pale blue eyes that ensnare
• A body built for war
• Swirling black lines over his shoulders
• The mark of the Hunt on his chest—one side, the face of a ghostly horse; the other, a hound

Now to make him into the most feared Hunter of all time, add:

• An alternate side—his Huntsman form—ghastly skin, a snout filled with razor sharp teeth, claws and a hunched back.
• Determination to bring retribution to the wronged
• A deep, unwavering sense of duty
• Dozens of half-siblings who join him in the Wild Hunt. All hot. All wicked. All untamed.

But to turn him into the man he was meant to be, expose him to the tainted half-breed daughter of his enemy. Sparks will immediately fly, and the heat generated will transform this tortured and feared alpha into a hero. Separate the two and allow the initial reaction to simmer. Both halves need to age like a good wine. Once each is desperate and aching for that connection they share, mix them together so they never question where they were meant to be.

Be prepared for intense heat and combustion. This combination has the potential to explode!

Well?? What do you think of my…um…recipe?

He was born to kill her…but he’ll risk all to save her.

Wild Hunt, Book 1

Every day, Harley fights the urge to embrace the dark heritage that could turn her Unseelie. Evil. Bad. A nightmarish monster like the ones that wiped out her family. The only thing keeping her on this side of Seelie is a promise made to the ghostly man who saved her that terrible night.

Whenever she’s tempted, she calls up a vision of his eyes. Hears his voice calling her back from the brink of madness. Years later, when she returns to the scene of her living hell, he’s her only hope for salvation.

Calan, the leader of the Wild Hunt, was created to protect mankind from the Unseelie Court, not love one of them. He never expected the rightness he felt with her all those years ago would explode into desire.

But saving her from a fate she can’t escape could damn them both…and leave the world open for destruction.

Warning: Contains a half-fae woman who could really use a Seelie version of AA to stay clean and monster-free. And a rider of the Wild Hunt who’ll take any risk to keep her safe from her enemies. Including himself.

Note: This book was previously published. It has been expanded and re-edited.

Excerpt

“You’re alive.”

She froze. The low, gravelly voice of her ghost man caressed her as tangibly as it had all those years ago. She dropped her hands. Hovering inches away were the eyes she’d seen in her dreams every night since.

“Oh God.” She scrambled back and tripped over her bag, landing on her ass.

“Be calm. You’re safe.”

Peace settled over her as if he’d taken her anxiety away with those words. Still, she inched away from his disembodied eyes. Caution had kept her alive in the face of a lifetime of evil. It didn’t matter if she’d felt as if she’d known him for ages. She’d learned years ago, nothing was as it seemed. Those with the ability to use glamour could create illusions out of thin air.

She settled on bent legs and studied the apparition for a clue as to whether he was a figment of her imagination or not. The oval surrounding the spectral display showed tan skin, ridiculously long lashes and dark eyebrows. Her pulse kicked up. Excitement, desire, fear—she wasn’t sure what caused it. She only knew she couldn’t look away.

“You.” She swallowed hard. She still couldn’t believe her eyes. Couldn’t deny the sight either. “It’s you.”

“Yes. It is.”

A long moment passed where they held each other’s gazes. So many times, she’d fantasized about what she would say or do if she ever reconnected with him. None of the scenarios fit the pregnant silence stretching between them. She let them slip through her fingers and asked the first question that came to her mind.

“What’s your name?” It had always bothered her not having one.

“I am Calan. Yours?”

Calan. She let his name settle over her heart. “Mine is Harley.”

“Harley.” Her name spoken in his deep voice sounded sexy, something she never thought her unusual name could be.

Finally, he released a shaky breath she felt skim over her cheek. She pressed her palm to the sensitive skin to hold the warmth close.

“You never returned to me, Harley.”

Raul’s words that night had confused and scared her. She hadn’t known what to believe. Or who.

“I ran just like you told me to.”

“I also told you to come back.”

She’d tried. Raul had followed her. Attacked her. She glanced at her hands that had once been covered in blood. Raul’s blood. She lowered her gaze and prayed Calan didn’t see the elation in her eyes the memory brought. It had felt good to hurt Raul. That had scared her most of all, and it was the reason she’d stayed away.

“Yes.” She turned her head, unable to look into his eyes. “You did.”

*~*~*

Get the book at…

Amazon | iBooks | B&N | KOBO | Google

 The details…

Book Title: Hunter Deceived
Series Name: Wild Hunt
Series Number: 1.0
Author: Nancy Corrigan
ISBN13: 978-1-61923-164-1
Length: 78K
Publication Date: December 29^th 2015

Add Hunter Deceived to Goodreads

Other books in the Wild Hunt series:

Hunter Sacrificed, book 0.5…a free read
Hunter Forsaken, book 2.0…releases 2-16-16. Available for pre-order.
More Wild Hunt books to come.

Connect with Nancy…

Website | Newsletter | Pinterest | Facebook Follow/Friend | Facebook Page | Amazon Page | Email

 A little about Nancy…

A true romantic at heart, Nancy Corrigan is convinced there’s a knight in shining armor for every woman (or man), but you won’t find damsels in distress in her stories. She adores pairing alpha heroes with women strong enough to match them and bring them to their knees. She also enjoys flipping the traditional roles in romances because her motto is—love and people should never be forced to conform to anyone’s norm.

She holds a degree in chemistry and has worked in research but now focuses on ensuring quality. She considers it the perfect outlet for her as she’s the first to admit she has some OCD tendencies. It carries over into her writing life too. While engrossed in a novel, she has a habit of forgetting to eat and sleep. Fortunately, she’s married to her own knight in shining armor who understands her oddities and loves her anyway. They reside in Pennsylvania with their three children, dog, snake and guinea pigs. Her other interests include tattoos, animals, classic cars and all things spooky and sexy.

It’s nearly Christmas, and of course, the twelve days of Christmas comes to mind, and with that, here are Twelve Things a writer most dreads (Sing to the tune of “A Partridge in a Pear Tree”…).

1) Rejection letters from agents.
Even if the note is just a simple “No thank you,” we see this:
“Dear Author,
Please stop sending me your hackneyed prose. Your stories suck. I hope you have another job, because writing just ain’t it. If I sold writing like yours, I’d be the laughing-stock of my profession. Please, for my sake and yours, stop querying me. “

2) Rejection letters from publishers.
Again, our imagination tends to see things in a darker light…
“Dear Author,
Just because we publish several of your online writing buddies, and just because your favorite author in the whole world is in our stable of authors, that doesn’t mean you are welcome. As a matter of fact, if it were Christmas eve and ours was the only stable in town, and you were pregnant and riding on a donkey – we still wouldn’t take you. Do us and the publishing world a big favor – take up bird watching.”

3) Typos in submission letters.
Dear Agnet,
Dare Agent,
Deer Anget,
I’d like to submit my story, “Angles on Crusade…”
I’d like to sumbit by story,
Sincely yours,
Sincerey yours,
Jenfiner
Jennifre

4) Typos in our finished and FINALLY published books:
Page 34: Instead of the Gulf of Mexico, it reads the Golf of Mexico…

5) Readers picking up on our little typos.
“Dear ex-favorite author. I read your latest story. Where the f%*@! is the Golf of Mexico? Do you mean the one in Tijuana, the Golf del Sur? Or did you mean the one in Cancun – the Country club and Golf Verdez? In any case, it makes no sense. I’m through reading your books. An ex-fan.

6) Having nobody read our books.
“Dear Author – here is your royalty statement for the year 2006 / 2007:
You sold 0 copies
Your royalties are 0.00$

7) The Advance that Just Won’t Go Away.
“Dear Author. Your advance was 1000$. You sold 0.00$ this year. You still owe us 1000$ on your advance against royalties. It will be a cold day in Hell before we sign another contract with you.

8) A Negative Review:
“The Tell Tale Tart by Jennifer Macaire – ZERO STARS! Where to begin? Well, it was hard enough to get into, and I barely got to the end – I only threw the book against the wall 86 times, and it’s a novella, folks. The heroine, Janice, who is an ex-prostitute, makes having the stomach flu seem fun, and the hero, Mike, the man who tries to “save” her, really should be locked up somewhere in a maximum security prison for eternity. The good news is, it’s practically a short story. The bad news is it cost me 4.95$ as a used book on Amazon. This was the worst piece of trash I’ve ever read. Don’t even bother taking it out of the library.” Nancy the usually really Nice reviewer for Rarin’ to Read Reviews

9) Trying to find a quote to use from a negative review.
“The Tell Tale Tart…The heroine Janice…fun…the hero Mike…eternity. Good News.”

10) Plagiarism
Finding out someone has plagiarized your book, taken your characters and given them slightly different names, changed the title a bit, but kept the plot! “The Whole Hale Heart” by M. Desforges, a love story about Jane, and ex-call girl and Mark, the man who wants to give her a new life.

11) Finding out the ‘OTHER’ book gets a five-star review and lands on the NYT best seller list.
“…I can’t say enough good things about Ms. Desforges new book. Her fresh new writing makes the wonderful characters come to life. I want to spend my entire life reading more books about Mark and Jane. Fabulous. Highly recommended.” Nancy the really Nice reviewer for Rarin’ to Read Reviews

12) Success. Because then you have to write another book just as good!

 I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! I just got some great news – “Murder and Mayhem” just won the Reader’s Choice award for the best urban fantasy 2015 at Evernight Publishing. It’s a mystery tale with a dose of romance and a zest of humor. If you liked Buffy the Vampire slayer, you’ll enjoy May, the vampire killer.

Meet May, the vampire killer. She’s quick, clever, and deadly, and she takes life very seriously having been killed once before by a mob of rogue vamps. Her father, a powerful necromancer, brought her back to life. She’s M.U.C.I.’s (Mutant and Undead Criminal Investigation) best man, er, woman, well, zombie actually, for catching and killing rogue vampires, so when two kids show up with all the signs of having been killed by a rogue, May gets the case.

Clues lead straight to a certain Bartholomew Aelfrith, a vampire, whose sense of humor and tall blond good looks are enough to convince May he needs killing, even if he’s not the killer. If he makes one more joke about her chop-sticks, she’s going to stab him through the heart with one. The problem is, Bartholomew is probably the only person who can catch the real killer, so May has to put up with his insouciance and his wise-cracks, and his penchant for picking up strays of all kinds.

But if he says, “I’ve got a plan” one more time, she’s going to scream.

Buy the book at Evernight Publishing

May’s traditional zombie stir fry recipe: Honey Lemon Chicken and Asparagus

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons soy sauce (reduced sodium)
1/4 cup chicken both – (May uses chicken bullion cubes)
1 teaspoon chilli sauce or a pinch of cayennne pepper
1 clove garlic, grated
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:

– Mix honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, broth, chill sauce, lemon zest, garlic, ginger and set aside in a bowl.

– Heat the oil in a pan over medium-high heat, add the chicken and stir fry until cooked through and browned a bit.

– Add the asparagus and stir fry until it turns a brighter green, about 2 minutes.

– Add the honey, lemon juice mixture, stir

– Whisk the water with the corn starch, stir in to coat and cook until the sauce thickens, about a minute.

Serve over rice. (May likes to drink ginger beer with this, and finish up with lychees and her father’s smoky moon-shadow tea.)

Jennifer Macaire’s website
Email Jennifer

Lots of writers get asked where their ideas come from. I am not one of those fortunate writers that get their inspiration from dreams or characters that speak to them until their novel is done. It’s a little disappointing because those types of eureka experiences are so much more creative than my random sparks of inspiration. Those little nuggets don’t always arrive in the most convenient fashion.

Once I was riding in the car listening to an NPR broadcast. Something about the story resonated with me. An idea began to formulate. The electric current of my vision seized me. I couldn’t wait to get home to write the idea down. By the time I arrived it had left as quickly as it had come and I couldn’t remember the content of the broadcast to bring it back. Note to self: always carry a notepad to write the idea down.

Sometimes the ideas happen collectively. The inspiration for my Martini Club 4 novella Runaway happened this way. The genesis of Runaway was a result of a collaboration between me and three of my friends. For some time, we had been meeting at the Martini Lounge for drinks, socializing and to discuss our writing journey.  Somewhere along the way, we decided to write novellas set in the 1920’s prohibition era. Soon thereafter, we came up with the concept of four women fleeing England for New York and ending up embroiled in the activities of a local speakeasy. Each of us wrote the story of one of the young ladies from across the pond. My character, Charlotte (Charli) Leighton, is running from an arranged marriage and has dreams of becoming a baker. She is loosely based on my eldest daughter who has a passion for is baking. It was a challenge to keep Charli’s story in synch with the other three characters but it was fun collaborating and creating this world with my friends.

Sometimes my ideas come from simple desperation. When I started writing again, I was told over and over again to write what I know. This comment always happened when I told my friends and family I wanted to write paranormal/science fiction romance. I have always been fascinated by science. Whenever I hear about a new discovery, my mind reals about the possibilities and how that discovery can be applied to my writing. But I am not a scientist. I’m an attorney. More specifically, I am a Guardian Ad Litem who represents abused and neglected children in divorce proceedings. In my cases, the mother and father fight through their children, twist the truth for their children, hurt their children and abandon their children. Not very uplifting stuff. It was part of the reason I started writing again so I could create worlds apart from my day job. I was sure my job contained no backdrop for a romance.

One day it occurred to me the largest frustrations of my job is identifying family dysfunction and having so few resources to help the families into healthy relationships with each other. Counseling was only as useful as the parent’s willingness to change. Court orders only worked if the aggrieved party had the financial resources to enforce them. Wouldn’t it be nice if a Guardian Ad Litem had the ability to heal them and make them better people?  Nikki Angelus has that ability in Shadow Dancer. Her power doesn’t come without cost but it wasn’t as hard to write about a Guardian Ad Litem as I originally thought.

Now I’d like to hear from you. What paranormal elements do you think are overdone? What paranormal elements would you like to see in a novel?

That’s all I have for now. Thank you for reading my post.

Krysta Scott

Runaway: Martini Club 4 the 1920’s available on Amazon
Shadow Dancer coming soon from The Wild Rose Press

Facebook: www.facebook.com/krysta.scott.9
Website: www.krystascottauthor.com
Twitter:@Krysta_Scott

Happy holidays!

I love this time of year because of all the festivities, the food, and especially the chance to revive traditions. For us, that includes listening to Christmas carols, watching holiday movies, and bringing out boxes and boxes of decorations.

One of the first boxes we open each year is the one with our Christmas mugs. We have a tradition of using them near Thanksgiving to start the season off right. They provide just a little reminder each morning – and during the rest of the day – that good times are on the way. They also make us think of all the other traditions we love.

For us, and probably for many people, the biggest decorating tradition is, of course, trimming the tree. We used to do that the day after Thanksgiving as we didn’t have much free time from then on. Now I work from home, we can usually wait until closer to the holiday.  But no matter when we do it, it’s the same special event every year.

My husband does the lights, I do the tinsel, and between those two chores, we put up the ornaments – while we keep our Christmas mugs of hot chocolate handy!

I don’t know about you, but we have certain ornaments that have to go in certain places, like the First Christmas Together ornament my mom and dad gave us when we were married. The photo-frame ornament that has a family picture on the front of it. The little beaded angel, about an inch tall, that I once bought at a Christmas craft sale.

Each ornament is special it its own way and evokes so many memories – which is what tradition is all about, isn’t it?

Have you got a family tradition or decoration you look forward to every year?

In a couple of my books, the hero and heroine get wrapped up in Christmas festivities whether they want to or not – and unfortunately for them, they don’t.

In my brand-new release, The Lawman’s Christmas Proposal, Andi and Mitch have agreed to a fake engagement for the holidays to escape her scheming, matchmaking grandpa. But in this scene where they’re decorating the family tree at the Hitching Post Hotel, the closeness becomes too much for her:
Andi didn’t know how she was going to make it through another minute of being around Mitch. She had had as much as she could take of seeing his smile, of hearing his laugh. He had done a lot of both during lunch in the dining room, then even more since they had spent the afternoon in the sitting room decorating the tree.

“Cole,” he said now, “you call yourself a wrangler? I could’ve done a better job of roping and tying that garland to the tree, and I haven’t worked this ranch in years.”

He sat on the couch with Missy on his knee and the boys and Rachel close by on the floor near his feet. All afternoon, he had talked with them and teased them and treated them as if they were his own kids.

She’d had enough of keeping up pretenses in front of her family. But he continued playing his role. He had brought her into conversations, too, when she would rather have been quiet. He had taken every chance available to put his arm around her. He had smiled at her like a man in love.

It all made her heart hurt.

In my earlier Christmas book, Court Me, Cowboy, it’s the hero who has a lot at stake in the tree-decorating scene. His ex-wife recently showed up on his doorstep to tell him they have a baby on the way. And he’s trying to get through the holidays without upsetting her so she’ll l allow him future contact with his child…

He frowned, a heartbeat away from backing out on this crazy idea. Pride pushed him forward. He took a long deep breath and let it out slowly. “Look, what I’m asking for is a truce. Why don’t we just start over again, like you said the other night.”

Her eyes widened. “You’re serious?”

“Darn right, I’m serious.”

Judging by the way her fingers twisted themselves together, she didn’t entirely believe him.

“Come on,” he urged, waving toward the corner of the room. “We’ve got a tree over there needs decorating, so why don’t we just start with that, see how it goes?”

“Well. . .I guess we could try it.”

A mite begrudging, but he’d take what he could get.

“Good.” He headed to the tree before she could change her mind. “I’ll get going on the lights.”

She moved to sit cross-legged on the floor and began threading silver hangers onto ornaments. She focused on her work, not looking at him, but her mouth had curved upward at the corners in the sexy smile guaranteed to get him hot. His fist tightened, driving a star-shaped light into his palm. He barely noticed.

She was so damn beautiful.

And he’d promised not to touch her.

*~*~*

I hope you’ve enjoyed the clips.

To celebrate the holiday, I’m giving away an autographed print copy of one of my available backlist titles (US mailing addresses only, please). To get your name in the hat:  share a special holiday tradition with us.

Leave your comment by Friday, and a winner’s name will be posted in the comments over the weekend.

Again, happy holidays to everyone!

*~*~*

About the Author:

Barbara White Daille lives with her husband in the sunny Southwest. Though they love the warm winters and the lizards in their front yard, they haven’t gotten used to the scorpions in the bathroom.

Barbara’s new series, The Hitching Post Hotel, features a matchmaking grandpa determined to see his three granddaughters wed. The series began with The Cowboy’s Little Surprise and A Rancher of Her Own, and The Lawman’s Christmas Proposal debuts today. Additional books in the series will be coming up next year.

Find Barbara online:

Website  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Newsletter  https://www.barbarawhitedaille.com/newsletter
Twitter  https://twitter.com/BarbaraWDaille
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/barbarawhitedaille

The Lawman’s Christmas Proposal:
Amazon  Barnes & Noble  Books-A-Million
Harlequin  IndieBound  Kobo

Court Me, Cowboy:
Amazon  https://www.amzn.com/B00EM36HD0
Barnes & Noble  https://bit.ly/BarnesandNoble-CourtMeCowboy
Harlequin  https://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=28380

Who’s your favorite female author? Can you pick just one?

Do you tend to read more books written by men or women? If you’re reading this romance-themed blog, it’s likely women–and probably romance.  But among all genres this simply isn’t the case.

Last year British author Joanna Walsh coined the hashtag #ReadWomen2014 and designed this postcard featuring her favorite female authors.

Walsh wrote “…although women read more than men, and books by female authors are published in roughly the same numbers, they are more easily overlooked.” She said female authors are marginalized “by top literary journals, both as reviewers and the reviewed.”

A recent Goodreads survey indicated readers prefer books written by their own sex, but that readers of female-penned books were 80% female, while for male writers it was 50/50. In essence, far fewer men read books written by both women and men.

These statements may come as no surprise to you.  Certainly, female authors (and readers) dominate the romance genre. But it’s a good reminder this holiday book buying season to support other women, and women writers

Believe me, we appreciate the support!

*~*~*

Jen Crane recently released the first two books in the scorching new Descended of Dragons series. Book two, Origin Exposed, was selected by iTunes/iBooks as “Our Pick” in Fantasy/Sci-Fi.

Rare Form
Descended of Dragons, Book 1
Amazon: https://bit.ly/RFAmazonBuylink
B&N: https://bit.ly/RFBNBuylink
iTunes: https://bit.ly/RFiBooksBuylink
Kobo: https://bit.ly/RFKoboBuylink

A Secret Past

Fiery redhead Stella Stonewall can’t decide between a margarita and a manhattan.
The rest of her life? Please. Stella has never really fit in, and her pretty world comes crashing down when she learns it was never her world at all.

Rowan Gresham is domineering, brooding, and as sexy as chocolate-dipped sin. When he transports Stella to the magical realm of her parents she recognizes her rightful place immediately. Gresham’s motivations are less clear.

A Scorching Chemistry

The enigmatic Gresham aids in Stella’s metamorphosis and their chemistry ignites, though a long-time girlfriend and a significant age difference stand in the way.

A Battle for the Rest of Her Life

Stella’s life fast-tracks to extraordinary when she enrolls at Radix Citadel for Supernatural Learning, an enchanted college whose students turn furry on the regular. As Stella learns to navigate the magical new world of Thayer she must also find her animal form, a task as elusive as her ancestry. Stella soon faces an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to learn to manipulate an animal form she never knew she possessed.

Origin Exposed
Descended of Dragons, Book 2
Amazon: https://bit.ly/OEAmazonBuylink
B&N: https://bit.ly/OEBNBuylink
iTunes: https://bit.ly/OEiBooksBuylink
Kobo: https://bit.ly/OEKoboBuylink

A Dangerous Secret

In fiery redhead Stella Stonewall’s new world magic and shape-shifters are everyday life. Scales, sorcery, shifters—no big. Stella has learned she’s not only descended of dragons, but of powerful skin changers. She struggles to keep this rare form a secret, even from her closest friends.

A Bitter Betrayal

Stella turns to her mentor Rowan Gresham for help. The charming but enigmatic Gresham forms a plan to improve her troublesome public image. The problem? The plan revolves around betraying the only family she has left.

A Potential for Something Real

When Gresham’s motives come into question Stella must rely on the new friends she’s made at a college for magical shifters. The feral bunch helps set Stella’s inner beast free. As these friendships flourish, so does the magnetism she’s always felt toward fierce and noble Ewan Bristol. But it’s so strong it threatens to overwhelm her.

Can Stella afford to open her heart now, when her entire future’s at stake, or is it bolted shut for eternity?

About the Author

Though she grew up on a working cattle ranch, Jen Crane has been into fantasy and sci-fi since seeing a bootleg tape of Quantum Leap.

She has a master’s degree, and solid work histories in government and non-profit administration. She’s been published in reputable newspapers and magazines. But just in the nick of time she pronounced life too real for nonfiction. She now creates alternate realms filled with adventure, magic, and love.

Jen is happily living out her dream in The South with her husband and three children, striking that delicate balance between inspiration and frustration.

Find Jen Crane online
Website: www.JenCraneBooks.com
FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr: JenCraneBooks