Monday, February 24, 2014

A BOOK IS BORN

Emilia Mancini dropped in today to share an interesting concept. The blog is all your, Emilia.

As I sat reading the galley for Seducing Kate, I realized what an incredible labor of love this book had been. If you’ve ever raised children, you can relate to the publishing process.

The pregnancy—the creating a new being, the hopes and dreams of what this being will eventually grow up to be, then finally, you start pushing thing out of you. Painful as it may be, there’s just no stopping it. You. Just. Have. To. Push.

Once it’s out, it’s not the most attractive thing, but you love it all the same.

Then it starts growing up and you realize that, much as you love it, your baby isn’t perfect. It’s colicky, cranky, and sometimes it takes a dump on you. You and your parental partner, your editor, go to task to mold this thing into a respectable fully-grown manuscript.

It hurts you, it breaks your heart, but at the same time, you swell with pride as you get ready to release it upon the world.

Seducing Kate was like this. The pushing out process was fairly easy. Kate and Kyle had a solid story and they were ready to share it with the world. It was the growing (editing) part that nearly killed me. Luckily, I have an incredibly patient editor who can see through all my personal writing ticks to the beauty that lies beneath.

She saw through my repetitive wording and my filtering and all those other bad author things I do. She saw through all the bullshit I pile on, scraped it away, polished this up, and made it shine.

I am so excited and so proud to be sending this respectable and fully-grown manuscript out into the world. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into this one, and those disgusting bodily fluids weren’t just mine. Jeanne De Vita did a fantastic job helping me raise this little bugger.

I feel like a proud mama and I can’t wait for you to meet my baby.

It took Kyle one look to realize he wanted to seduce his best friend’s mother. And one kiss to realize he didn't have to.

It was lust at first sight for Kyle when he met his roommate Justin’s mother Kate. Kyle, a college transfer, was too far from home to visit on short school breaks, so Justin took him to Minneapolis where his mother was serving up a family meal for Thanksgiving.

One look left Kyle with a healthy obsession for Kate which grew with each visit. When he landed an internship in Minneapolis, he moved in with Kate for the summer, and got in touch with his voyeuristic side. It wasn’t until one late evening and a few too many glasses of wine that Kyle began to suspect his attraction wasn’t one-sided.

When he dared to push the issue, he found Kate more than willing to succumb to his seduction.

To read an excerpt from Seducing Kate, please click HERE.

Emilia Mancini is the naughtier side to author Marci Boudreaux. Emilia stays hidden in the shadows like a nefarious side kick, slipping out only when the stories Marci wants to share are a little too grown up to be called sweet romance.

Seducing Kate is Emilia’s second release and, at least for the moment, her crowning glory.

Be sure to check out the Pinterest board for Seducing Kate.

Visit Emilia on her website. Stay connected on Twitter and Facebook.

Be sure to enter Musa Publishing's January Giveaway.

Monday, February 17, 2014

She is All About Reading and Writing Romance

Sexy Sara Daniel is here to share her true feelings about what makes the world go round. Take it away, Sara!

1. The Love Story: Obviously, right? I love to read about two people who care about each other so much that they’ll fight for each other. I love that they believe in each other more than anyone ever has before or will again. There is something so satisfying, so heartwarming to watch two characters fall in love, usually against their will, and rise above all the conflict to live out that love they deserve.

2. The Emotions: No other genre does the roller coaster of emotions like romance. One minute I’m laughing at a particularly witty line of dialogue, and the next I’m sobbing as the hero or heroine takes a figurative (and occasionally literal) punch to the gut. Does your life feel stale and blah? For the hours that you’re reading a romance, you’re living the gentleness of the hero caressing your cheek, the frustration of that one person who always has to make life difficult, the thrill of finally giving said person their comeuppance, the sweetness of a first kiss, the stark terror of falling for the person who could cause you to lose everything, and absolute joy of spending forever with the love of your life.

3. The Happily Ever After: Of course, we all know how a romance novel ends. The hero and heroine get together and live happily ever after. Some people scoff at this guarantee, but it is my number one reason why I will always read and write romance novels. Every day you can pick up the newspaper and read about a life that ends in tragedy. In our own lives and in the lives of our friends and neighbors, there are problems that we can’t wave a wand and make everything magically turn out okay. Who needs to read about more pain, suffering and general cynicism? Definitely not me. Instead, sit down for a couple hours and escape to a romance. Vicariously conquer every roadblock thrown at you. Best of all, no one can take away your happily ever after when you reach the end.

See what I mean with this short intro to one of my favorite books.

Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.

Nicole DeMonde’s car breaks down the moment she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding. The cop who stops to help her is none other than local hottie Wyatt Truman, who slept with her then dumped her when they were teens. She has no choice but to accept his help. However, she knows better than to trust him with her heart twice.

Wyatt is determined to earn Nicole’s forgiveness and make amends for his callous past. Once he lays eyes on her, he can’t help wanting a lot more than forgiveness, despite his intention never to hurt her again.

Just as Wyatt starts thinking his best intentions are of the forever variety, Nicole decides to work Wyatt out of her system with a one night stand. Can either of them make peace with the past in a single weekend, let alone survive with their hearts intact?

To read an excerpt from Wyatt's Guilt, please click HERE.

Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband.

Learn more about Sara on her website and blog. Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter. Stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Be sure to enter Musa Publishing's January Giveaway.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Don't Let the Hours Slip Away

Today is the last day to play

Fall in Love with Musa Publishing


Grand Prize
Four $10.00 Musa Gift Certificates

All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing February 14, 2014
Winners announced February 16, 2014

Enter today to win free books!
Musa Publishing is giving away two Promotional Paperback Books daily!
PLUS each winner receives a download of Cooking with Musa.

No particular order to the daily drawings for the books below


For His Love by Nya Rayne
Marisa's Choice by Kadee McDonald

Only a Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
Storm's Fury by Nya Rayne


Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.

All paperback book prizes must be claimed by February 20, 2014 or they are forfeited.

Giveaway begins February 6, 2014 and ends midnight CST February 13, 2014

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Six and a Half Tips

and a Recipe for Perfect English Muffins

by HL Carpenter

You don’t have to be British to enjoy hand-made English muffins, which is fortunate for the heroine in our young adult novel, The SkyHorse, since Tovi Taggert and her family are southerners through and through.

The Taggerts are also fans of fun, easy menu additions for Sunday morning brunch or a special breakfast. English muffins are a snap to prepare, require only an hour to rise, cook quickly on a griddle or frying pan (no heating the oven!) and taste great, either plain or with butter, jam, or your favorite topping. An added bonus is the delicious, yeasty scent of fresh bread that fills the kitchen.

Here are tips to help you make perfect muffins.
1. While the yeast is dissolving, fill a 13” x 9” pan with hot water and place it in your unheated oven. Muffins rise best in a warm, humid environment.

2. If your recipe calls for honey, spritz your measuring spoon with cooking spray. The honey will slide right off the spoon.

3. Instead of using a rolling pin and cookie cutter to form your muffins, divide the dough into even parts. Then press out the dough pieces in your hamburger patty mold. You’ll get just-the-right-size, perfectly round muffins.

4. Once your muffins have risen, hand-transfer them to the heated griddle. They’ll keep their shape better than if you try to slip a spatula beneath them.

(Bonus tip: Prefer using a spatula? Dip the edge in cornmeal so it slides easily under the muffins.)

5. To test for doneness, lightly tap the top of the muffins with your fingertip. A hollow sound means your muffins are cooked.

6. When you’re ready to toast, split the muffins with a fork instead of a knife. Your toppings will fill the resulting nooks and crannies.

And here’s the perfect recipe for Perfect English muffins.

What you’ll need:
2-3 quart bowl
Standard-size cookie sheet
Griddle or frying pan
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour (all-purpose or whole wheat)
3/4 cup shortening
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal

Dissolve yeast in bowl in warm water for five minutes. While yeast is dissolving, sprinkle cookie sheet with a light coating of cornmeal.

Add flour, shortening, honey and salt to yeast-and-water-mixture to form dough.
Coat dough with flour; knead until elastic.

Divide dough into 12 equal balls. Use a hamburger patty mold or the flat end of a glass dipped in flour or sprayed with cooking spray to flatten each ball into a 3-inch circle. Put the muffins on the cookie sheet as you form them.

Cover the cookie sheet and let the muffins rise for an hour.
Heat the griddle or frying pan to 375 degrees (no oil necessary).

Cook the muffins, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

Split with a fork, toast, and enjoy with your favorite topping.

While your enjoying those delicious muffins, how about settling in with a good book?

Tovi thinks finding a flying horse is fabulous luck - until a mysterious stranger says finders aren’t always keepers.

When fourteen year old Tovi Taggert moves to Honeysuckle Hollow to take care of her grandmother, she has a hard time fitting in. For one thing, she’s been tagged with the hated nickname Too-Tall Tovi. For another, everyone at Honeysuckle Hollow High believes Tovi played the Choking Game with someone else’s boyfriend – and made out with him besides.

As if she doesn’t have enough problems, after the latest stand-off in the school hallway, Tovi finds a gorgeous speckled egg nestled in a feather lined nest.

She takes the egg home – and mysterious visitors begin appearing almost immediately. Even more worrisome, whatever is inside the egg starts chipping its way out.

When the egg hatches, revealing a winged horse, Tovi’s troubles multiply.

As she struggles to return the horse to the magical land where he belongs, Tovi must make a courageous decision – and accept what that decision will cost her.

To read the first chapter of The SkyHorse, please click HERE.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon


HL Carpenter is a mother/daughter writing team. Learn more about HL Carpenter on their website and their latest story “Going Where You Look”, published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers.

Monday, February 10, 2014

ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR

Fall in Love with Musa Publishing


Grand Prize
Four $10.00 Musa Gift Certificates

All entrants are eligible for Grand Prize Drawing February 14, 2014
Winners announced February 16, 2014

Enter daily to win free books!
Musa Publishing is giving away two Promotional Paperback Books daily!
PLUS each winner receives a download of Cooking with Musa.

No particular order to the daily drawings for the books below


For His Love by Nya Rayne
Marisa's Choice by Kadee McDonald

Only a Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge
Storm's Fury by Nya Rayne


Taming Angelina by Helen Hardt
Treasuring Amber by Helen Hardt
Trusting Sydney by Helen Hardt



a Rafflecopter giveaway


Winners of paperback books who reside outside the Continental United States will receive their prize in e-book format.

All paperback book prizes must be claimed by February 20, 2014 or they are forfeited.

Giveaway begins February 6, 2014 and ends midnight CST February 13, 2014

Tuesday, February 04, 2014

Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic

It is with great pleasure I welcome back Sam Cheever an Award-Winning author and good friend. The blog is all yours, Sam.

On March 8th, my story Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic will release as part of a box set entitled Tall, Dark & Alpha. As the name implies, this set features 10 hot Alpha heroes and the women who keep them on their toes. I’m really excited about this story because I believe, as the rabid sales of romances with strong alpha males show, women are desperately seeking an alpha. In fact, I’ve done a series of blog posts on that very subject. Here’s a tidbit from one:

The alpha male is the next great endangered species. He is drugged into oblivion in grade school to force him to sit still and have no aggressive tendencies at all. He's bound and controlled throughout early adulthood by political correctness that declares his every natural instinct and need as abhorrent and deviant. In fact, now, his last vestige of normal male fun, sports, is currently being nit-picked and micro-managed in a ridiculous attempt to envelop its participants in virtual bubble wrap and create a more genteel enterprise.

Nonsense.

Men were created with big muscles so that they could hunt and gather and fight off predators. They are driven and active, and have learned to work off their more aggressive tendencies in sport and competition. These are all good things. Throughout history women and children have depended on these aspects of the human male for their very survival. If you believe those days are past, you haven't read the news lately. We still need our alpha males! Full blog post http://samcheever.com/blog/thursday-tidbit-desperately-in-need-of-an-alpha/

I love a good fictional as well as real life alpha male, which is why I wrote Tall, Dark & Apocalyptic. And I can’t wait to share the wonderful Audie Kord with you on March 8th! In the meantime, here’s a taste:

A grand passion in an apocalyptic world. A love beyond reason and without boundaries.

He’s a warrior, a bounty hunter in a world turned upside down. She’s a target, a creature of dark magic. His job is simple. Kill the target. Her goal is more complex. She must stay alive until she finds and destroys the source of death magic staining the twenty worlds. But the passion burning within them may be their undoing. It’s going to take an apocalyptic will to overcome the distraction their bodies are creating…and not lose themselves in the process.

EXCERPT
“There are ten reborns in that hillside lair.”

Audie pulled his sword so quickly the woman’s sexy blue gaze widened slightly with alarm. “Let’s go kill them.”

Instead of moving, Yeira just stared up at him, looking eminently disappointed.

When she didn’t move, Audie placed the tip of his sword in the dirt at his feet and leaned on it. “What?”

“Have you even been listening to me?”


He frowned. “Hanging on every word, why?”

“You remember the part about my goal? Wherein I don’t kill everything that moves but instead try to find Edana?”

She sounded so much like his legal counsel Audie couldn’t help grinning. She certainly didn’t look anything like any lawyer he’d ever met. “Vaguely.”

She turned on her heel and strode away, her feet hitting the dry, scratchy-sounding grass much harder than they needed to. Feeling just a tiny bit proud of himself for getting under her skin, Audie started after her.

The warm fuzziness didn’t last long. As soon as he caught up she glanced at him and asked. “So how good are you at restrictive magics?”

Audie worked hard not to show his panic. “I’m much better at whacking things than restraining them.”

One corner of her delicious mouth curved upward. “You do have guide magic, right?”

“Of course!” He was deeply insulted by her question. Only the novice hunter walked around without a guide to call. “I didn’t say I couldn’t restrain them. I just said I was better at lopping off their heads.”

She sniffed but didn’t say anything and Audie’s temper flared. Suddenly he found it very important to prove himself to her. He stopped and the woman kept walking. Watching her fine, heart-shaped behind sway away from him, he lifted one hand, palm up. With a thought he called the magic in their surroundings and sparking blue particles of energy suddenly filled the air, speeding toward him. The light caught and swirled in a power-whirlwind above his palm, waiting for his direction.

Smiling, Audie glanced at the woman, whose, curvy form had widened the distance between them by ten feet. With a single thought he sent the swirling blue magic toward her, grinning as it wrapped her in a shimmering embrace, dragging her to a halt.

She gave a little squeal of alarm and Audie strode over, stopping to stare down at her. “It appears my restrictive magics work just fine.

She struggled against his magic web. “Good. Now let me go.”

Watching her fight the magic, her silky, red hair flying around delicate shoulders as she struggled to get free, something broke inside Audie. Something that had been closed was wrenched open. And suddenly he couldn’t help wondering what her wine-colored lips would taste like—pondering how they’d feel moving softly beneath his.

Once the thought was free he couldn’t call it back and Audie found himself stepping closer.

She stopped struggling and looked up at him through those unfathomable blue eyes, the thick fringe of dark red lashes fluttering slightly as she seemed to consider whether he meant her harm. Audie reached out and touched her porcelain-colored cheek, and she flinched.

His finger scraped softly against the velvet surface and Audie turned it so the callouses on the tips wouldn’t abrade her delicate skin. “How is it possible that you’re so beautiful?” He murmured. It was meant to be a thought. One he’d wondered all too often to himself. But the words had escaped his lips and she’d heard.

Yeira’s eyes widened in alarm. “Look, hunter, I…”

He didn’t want to hear what she had to say. Couldn’t stand it if, in the moment when his cold heart had warmed slightly, she filled the heat-charged air between them with ugly words. So he did the only thing he could. He lowered his head and captured her lush, burgundy lips with his own.

And the thing that had blossomed inside his chest creaked open another inch as she responded with instinctual passion to his touch.

Click HERE for the book page.
Watch the video HERE.

Tall, Dark & Alpha Box Set

He makes your heart pound and melts your resistance away. He promises you a world of passion and you find it impossible to resist his dark charm. When he catches your eye across the room, you know he means business. He could be an executive, cop, shape shifter, or a bad boy looking for a little fun. Once he has you in his sights, you can't get away—and after one sizzling night in his arms, you won't want to. He’s Tall, Dark & Alpha. The alpha male is the ultimate indulgence…the richest dark chocolate…and we’re offering him to you in abundance.

Delve into the sensual worlds of award-winning authors: Randi Alexander, Koko Brown, Sam Cheever, Delaney Diamond, Eve Langlais, Afton Locke, Dawn Montgomery, Farrah Rochon, Paige Tyler, and Eve Vaughn. Immerse yourself in the alpha male experience.

Click HERE to read the blurbs.

Award-Winning Sam Cheever writes romantic paranormal/fantasy and mystery/suspense, creating stories that celebrate the joy of love in all its forms. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books and has been writing for over a decade under several noms de plume.

Learn more about Sam Cheever on her blog Eclectic Insights. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter. You can also find Sam on Goodreads.

Monday, February 03, 2014

The Temps are Freezing in the USA

but it's Hotter than Hell in Finland!

ON FIRE IN FINLAND, Book 1 of Melt the Ice series, is now available.

Fire and ice...

White nights...White hot passion


Scorching vacation sex is uppermost in jingle writer Kate Adam’s mind during her few days in Finland. That was the plan until her sports car dies on a lonely ribbon of country road. Her fantasies reignite when a delicious looking blue collar local crawls past in his beater truck.

Hot women and expensive cars are always a temptation for Rurik Jaacko, and his downfall. This time he must stay focused and drive right past the shapely woman stranded on the side of the road. But manners force him pull over. A few moments with Kate sparks a sizzling attraction that has Rurik offering more than a simple tow.

Roadside assistance spins into a white-hot ride as Rurik and Kate butt heads and burn up the sheets.

EXCERPT:
With his hard-on raging, Rurik watched her nipples harden and peak through the thin knit shirt. Obviously their heated exchange excited her. Or perhaps that he had taken control.

Women want to be dominated.

“There are times a man must take a stand with an unruly woman.” He caught her wrist and tugged her closer.

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Color drained from her cheeks. But was that a sparkle in her eyes?

He stopped. What about the consequences? Either he would be a hero or Kate would pack her bags right after she rang the police.

“Yes, today I would.” He dropped onto a birch stump and, with a quick yank, upended her over his knees. Her perfect ass across his lap was too tempting not to continue.

“You’d better stop before it’s too late, buddy.” She turned her head and shot him a glare that could melt steel.

“It already is.” His palm came down with a resounding smack.

“Ouch.” She kicked her legs and wrestled beneath him.

He laid an arm over her shoulders to keep her in place and prayed he had made the right decision.

“Rurik, you are so going to pay for this,” she wailed, startling the birds from the trees.

And he would, right after he laid another open-palm swat on her firm ass.

Whack.

She yelped at the contact. And he loved the sound. He might have been wrong about her being a spoiled, over-privileged woman, but a good spanking was in order to assert his authority. But he had better run like hell when he finally let her up because she was going to murder him.

His hand came down again, not quite as hard, and lingered on her sexy rear, petting away the sting. He ran his fingers along the curve of her cheeks hidden beneath the tight denim shorts. What did his handprint look like on her milky flesh? A stirring below his belt pressed against his fly and forced him to shift unsuccessfully under her weight.

She wiggled against his cock, enhancing his torture, and he failed to stifle the groan.

“Are you through beating me into submission?”

Her words came out breathlessly and reminded him of how she had purred against his balls the night before.

“No. I do not think so.”

Whap.

His hand smacked solid on her ass. She shrieked. And he loved her reaction.

He grazed a finger under the ragged edge of her shorts and inched up the inside of her thigh, seeking the heat beneath her thong. He hooked the lacy strap and tugged, drawing it tight against her labia. He released it and yanked up again. Her soft gasp traveled on a gentle breeze.

The musky scent of her arousal drifted up and encouraged him to please her. He glided a finger closer to her folds, teasing along the way with light pinches to her flesh, until he slipped inside her hot channel. Her wet pussy flexed against him, clenching—relaxing, and milking his finger like her mouth had done to his cock.

“I think you like this, Kate.” He did.

A whimper rose like a caress. Her hair tumbled free as she nodded.

He pulled out, then slid back in with two fingers and pressed firmer against her wall.

“Should I continue your torture or”—he massaged up and down until she bucked against him—“take you into the house and fuck you fast and hard?”

A soft gurgle washed her words away, and his balls tightened.

BUY LINKS
Musa Publishing
Amazon

To read excerpts from my other erotic romances, please click HERE.