Friday 30 November 2012

Author Hot Seat - Fiona Archer

The author hot seat specials are designed to help readers get to know some of today's popular and up and coming authors a little better. The questions are broken into four sections - About your writing, about you, fun stuff and finally. Some of the questions are easy, other may need a little more thought and some may cause our author friends to hesitate before answering. Still, they all answer.

Today my friend and fellow author, Fiona Archer is sitting in the hot seat. Fiona has her first book releasing this month. It's called Chloe's Double Draw and although I haven't had time to read the finished product yet, from the pre-published sections I've been privileged to see, if you like cowboy's and menage stories with a touch of BDSM then you'll love Fiona's book. 

Let's hand it over to Fiona and see if we can make her squirm in the Hot Seat for a bit.


About your writing:

How did you get started as a writer?

I’ve always had a love for reading and have wanted to write a romance since I was fifteen. After my 40th birthday, I decided it was time to live my dream. So one day I sat down and started to type.

Why do you write?

Because I can’t afford the medication if I don’t! The voices in my head demand their stories and I’m happy to oblige.

Have you ever had a day you wanted to quit and never write again?

Hell, yes! When you let the self-confidence thief takes over, writing then becomes a path full of boulder sized rocks you have to climb over. But you keep on typing away, and soon those boulders turn into pebbles and then flecks of dust.

Do you feel lucky to be doing what you are doing?

Lucky? Hmm, I’m not sure that’s the right word. I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity. I’ve worked hard to get this far and know I have so much more to learn. I’m aware life can kick you in the pants when you least expect it to, so if luck has anything to do with keeping that boot from my posterior, then I’m happy to embrace that good fortune.  

Tell me how you got to where you are today?

By drinking copious amounts of coffee!

In truth, I had so much to learn about the craft of writing. I read books on the subject and took classes over the internet. Along the way, I made some wonderful friendships with other authors who graciously passed on some of their knowledge. And I kept typing away. You can’t edit a blank page. So getting those words down was my number one priority. 

How do your family/spouses react to your work as an author? Do they know what you write? 

Sure, my family know what I write. This is my life, and is how I make my living, how I spend the majority of my time. There’s no point in hiding that from those closest to me, including my friends.  

About you:

What are you passionate about in life?

Family, friends, my fur babies, a good story and the absolute best tasting iced coffee.

If you had to give a thank-you speech at the Oscars, who would you thank and what would you say?

Best screenplay? Fabulous, thanks! You’ll have to excuse me for limping. My backside is numb from sitting for so long and these shoes are killing me. Mind if I change into my slippers now? Oh, and, sweetie, can I have the name of your plastic surgeon?

What are the three most important life lessons you’ve learned that might make life easier for others?

No matter how much you want something, if that special ingredient is missing—be that love, attraction, or talent—sheer will alone won’t make it happen.

Always save your current WIP on a regular basis. Email it to yourself after each 1,000 words. Back up to an external hard drive. Take steps now. Because at some point in time, your computer will crash and you will lose data. Then the wailing will begin and it won’t be pretty.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. Whom would it be and why?

Oh, definitely the heroine of my novel, Chloe’s Double Draw. Caught between two Doms and loving every minute of it? Yes, please.

What's the worst thing you did as a kid?

Nope, not telling. Ever.

What do you do to have fun?

I love going to the movies, reading murder mysteries (and watching them on telly), eating out with friends and sitting in the back garden with my fur baby.

Share a funny incident in your life.

I’d always wanted to get my ears pierced but was terrified of the pain. On the last weekend of a holiday in Washington State, my friend challenged me to do something special to see off my visit. Bring on the pierced ears! Several glasses of bubbly were imbibed to fortify my courage. Now, slightly, um, tipsy, and with my friend holding my hands and telling me to breathe, I ended up getting my ears pierced at this little discount jewelry shop in Seattle. I purchased a pair of tiny diamanté studs, plus a tiara, and then went crazy and also bought flower and diamanté flip flops. I proceeded to wear my new treasures as we shopped in Seattle. I soon discovered that city understands that sometimes a girl needs to let her tiara shine and hey, when you smile and are happy, that can prove to be infectious to those around you.

Fun Stuff:

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Michelle Pfeiffer. Not only is she my spitting image with her to-die-for cheekbones and tiny bum (cough), she can also do that “death-ray” stare that I used to practice in my bedroom mirror as a fifteen year old.

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

Rich Chocolate. Luscious and decadent. LOL


What is your favorite color- food- song- movie?

Colour – Purple
Food – slow cooked corned beef with white onion sauce
Song – gosh, no idea.
Movie – heck, too many to pick one.

What's the funniest pick up line ever used on you?

Never had one used on me.

What's the one thing you can't live without?

Books!

And finally:

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:
                       -An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
                       -An old friend who once saved your life.
                       -The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
You can only fit one person in your car, who would you choose to offer a ride to?

I’d pull up and offer my seat and the passenger spare to the my friend and the old lady. Then…I’d huddle under an umbrella with my perfect partner. Just think of the luscious ways we could warm up back at my place afterwards!

Thanks so much Fiona for being here in the hot seat, I've really enjoyed it and hope everyone else has as well. Here is a little bit more information about Fiona, her book and a excerpt from Chloe's Double Draw. 

If you like what you read Fiona is giving away a free ebook copy of Chloe's Double Draw to one lucky reader. To enter, comment on this post and leave your email address by midnight on the 1st December. The winner will be selected using random.org and notified at the email address left with their comment.

Don't forget to follow this blog so you can be notified of who else is appearing in our hot seat and check out some great new authors like Fiona.


Author Bio

I live in the sunny environs of Sydney, Australia, and share a house with my dog, Letty. Oh, and the flock of cockatoos that take over the back yard each afternoon, demanding their feed of Arnott's Milk Arrowroot Biscuits. Things get a little noisy around 3.00pm in our household.

My love of romance started back when I was twelve and my mum's stash of Mills and Boon novels proved too much of a temptation. At fifteen, I decided the life of a romance writer was for me. Some…ah…years later, I've clawed together enough gumption to make my dream a reality.

When not sitting in front of the computer, I can be found in the garden or enthralled watching a murder mystery DVD. I limit myself to reading other authors' work between writing my own stories. Books are my “shiny” distractions.

Blurb for Chloe’s Double Draw.

Chloe Morgan fled to King’s Bluff, Wyoming, to start a new life. With a past that haunts her, the shy schoolteacher must make a choice. She can hide away and protect her secrets or embrace the acceptance of the small community.

Noah King and Flynn Taylor have traveled the world as members of Australia’s elite SAS. They’ve earned scars, both inside and out. Now powerful influencers in King’s Bluff, Wyoming, a town founded by Noah’s ancestors, the men have made a haven from the ranch Noah inherited.

One look at Chloe convinces Noah and Flynn she’s worth pursuing. Introducing her to BDSM and the ménage lifestyle accepted by the town will be a hard sell. She’s scared, skittish, and refusing their advances.

As the two Doms strive to gain her trust, Chloe’s past crashes in on them, threatening their futures. When a man obsessed with her tracks down his prey, nobody could have imagined how high the stakes would go.

Excerpt - Chloe's Double Draw by Fiona Archer.

The burn in Chloe’s nipple morphed into a sweet throb. Desire shot straight to her core. Her control was slipping away from her, melting in a puddle at their feet. If she gave in now, she’d never be able to walk away.
“No, I can’t. I won’t—Oh. My. God. What’s that?” Pain gripped her other nipple. She looked down. Flynn kneeled in front of her, adjusting something—tweezer-like things with rubber ends—on her nipple. She rocked forward. A tiny bell, hanging from the clamp, tinkled.
Helpless, she watched Flynn lift a second clamp, connected by a chain to the first, to her other nipple, still caught between Noah’s finger and thumb.
“Nooo.” This was so foreign and delicious.
“Breathe and settle. Center you thoughts on your nipple. It’s not hurting anymore, is it? Burning, yes, but not hurting.” Noah’s free hand sank between her wet folds. He pressed against her clit just enough to drive her higher while denying her release.
Again, she let her head fall back against his chest, her eyes closing. He thrust two fingers deep inside her core the moment the sharp bite of the clamp bit down on her remaining nipple. She opened her mouth. No sound escaped.
Never, she’d never felt anything…It had hurt before, but now it went beyond a burn. It was more than she’d ever imagined.
Inside her warmth, Noah swiped his finger in a circle, grazing her sensitive spot. Yes. Right there.
A warm lick caressed her nipple. She jolted. Tinkling sounds filled the air. Their light pings contrasted to the heavy thud of her heart.
“How does it feel, sweetness, having your nipples clamped?” Flynn’s voice drifted over her as he skimmed the back of his fingers over her breasts.
She battled to center her thoughts. “It feels amazing, too much.”
“Poor baby. We’re just warming up.”
She opened her eyes in time to catch Flynn lift the thin sliver of chain connecting the clamps and give it a gentle tug.
An avalanche of sensation sparked from her nipples and ran down straight to her pussy. “I…oh, oh, I can’t—”
Noah lowered his head until his warm breath caressed her ear. “You don’t have permission to speak.” His teeth nipped her lobe.
She moaned at the sharp sting. How could she crave this kind of pain?
Flynn wrapped his hand in her hair and tugged, dragging her gaze up to his. “Do we need to gag you?”
Oh, hell! Her pussy clamped like a vise around Noah’s fingers.
“Flynn, she’s gripping me hard.” He used his head to press hers further into his shoulder as he licked a line up the side of her neck. “Your need for domination goes far deeper than you’ve confessed, doesn’t it, little one? You need to be taken, sometimes rough and hard. You want to scream and struggle and know that no matter what you say or do, you can’t get free.”
Yes!
At Flynn’s cool gaze, she pressed her lips together. No, they wouldn’t let her speak. Not now, when she teetered on the edge of full capitulation. His denial jacked up her need, becoming even more frantic when Noah withdrew his fingers from her pussy.
Flynn kneeled between her legs. “She’s just confirming what we knew all along. It’s true, isn’t it, Chloe? You love it when you’re taken in hand.” His fingers spread her lips wide. She tensed as his breath fanned over her wetness. Fire raced through her as he licked the tip of her clit. “Weak men don’t attract you.”
Lick.
“You want them strong, determined.”
Lick.
“Prepared to wrestle you from your own fears.”
Lick.
“Take you down, show you who’s in command.”
His mouth closed over her clit, sucking hard. A starburst of pleasure exploded from her clit. She came with such force that her heels knocked against the chest as her legs jerked with each wicked lick and suck from Flynn.
He showed no mercy, his tongue flicking over her swollen bundle of nerves as another orgasm, so quick after the first, shattered what remained of her composure and left her breathless.
“Nothing can hold us back now. Feel how your body reacts to our words. You’re on fire, luv.” Noah’s lips trailed kisses down the side of her face and neck.
They’d left her with nowhere to hide, utterly defenseless. Her hands curled into fists. She crumpled back against Noah. Her eyes widened. Something hard, very hard, was within her reach. A smile pulled at her mouth. She ran a knuckle over the bulge. Maybe she wasn’t so defenseless after all.
“Don’t you dare,” Noah warned.
Hot ribbons of excitement raced along her body. No way was she stopping now.
She rubbed her fist against the denim covering his erection. Noah’s sharp hiss drove her on, her strokes longer and harder. Could she make her hard-ass warrior come in his pants?
Too late, she saw Noah’s hand reach for the chain connecting her clamps.
She squished her eyes closed and panted against the clamp’s spicy bite. “Oh. Oh, Sir.” Breathe.
Noah finally released the chain, letting it thud against her hot skin.
Flynn’s next words had her eyes popping open. “Obviously, we’ve been too gentle.”
Aaaahh.” She cried out as Flynn slapped her pussy. Tiny waves of bliss rolled outward from her clit, not enough to allow orgasm.
“Silence,” Noah ordered.
Ready to beg, she clamped her jaw tight.
Flynn lifted up a black velvet pouch and pulled out a butt plug, held it up for her to see.
So big. Her back passage clenched in anticipation.
“See this? It’s nearly as big as me. We’re going to get you nice and stretched. Then I’m going to fuck your arse.”
“Right after I slide into that hot, wet pussy,” Noah said.
They wanted to drive her insane. That had to be their plan.

To purchase Chloe's Double Draw visit the bookstrand website at http://www.bookstrand.com/chloes-double-draw 

You can also read up on Fiona's stories and what she's up to by visiting her website at www.fionaarcher.com

or connect with her on facebook by going to the following pages
  





Tuesday 27 November 2012

Truth or Dare with Lori King


Author, Lori King has volunteered to play Truth or dare with us today. I'll let Lori take it from here as she tell us a little bit about herself and also let's us know why she chose truth over dare.
 
Let me just say first, that I chose Truth because most of those Dare’s would take a lot of tequila, and there would be no cameras in the near vicinity. LOL Now, a little about me….I’m a thirty year old mother of three boys, and I’ve been with my knight in slightly dull armor for nearly nine years. I work during the day in the corporate financial world, and then I after my kids crash for the night, I settle in with my laptop to write. I write ménage and traditional stories about Dominant men, with an ooey gooey soft spot for their women, and my women can stand on their own two feet, but enjoy submitting to their man. Right now I have two books out in a paranormal werewolf series called The Gray Pack: Fire of the Wolf, and Reflections of the Wolf, with a third due out soon from Siren-Bookstrand. I also have a new series in the works that follows a Marine unit after they have left the military, and are trying to find their footing in the civilian world again. Find out more on my blog www.lorikingbooks.wordpress.com or look me up by my books at http://bookstrand.com/lori-king

Now let's see what enlightening truths Lori has to share with us.

If you could go out on a date with anyone in the world who would it be?
 
This one is surprisingly easy for me. I would choose country music singer, Blake Shelton. Yeah I know he’s married, but I find him ridiculously sexy, and his sense of humor matches mine. I know I would have a great time with him, no matter where we went.


What feature of yours are you self-conscious about?  
 
Just like 90% of the female population I would say my weight. I fought an eating disorder when I was in high-school, and then I had two children right out of high-school and nearly doubled my body weight with the back to back pregnancies. So I’ve fought that number on the scale for more than twenty years. I’d love to say that I’m completely comfy with my exterior, but I’m only human. J

When you are trying to impress people what personality trait do you hide?

My raunchy sense of humor, and love for curse words, people don’t seem to like seeing those traits in the corporate world, so they rarely come out at my day job.

When where you embarrassed getting caught in the middle of something?

I actually was having sex with my current husband (BF at the time) in his bed when his mom (who I hadn’t met) paid a surprise visit, and walked in on us. Not the best way to meet my future MIL, but we’ve moved past it. We’ve NEVER spoken of it between us again. LOL

Where is the strangest place you’ve ever had sex?

On stage in front of a group of about 25 people. That’s all the details you’re getting, because I wouldn’t do it again. LOL


Thanks so much for playing Lori it's been great having you here. I'm so excited that everyone is embracing the fun of the game and telling the truth no matter how embarrassing or racy it may be. What does everyone else think, are you enjoying the game and what did you think of Lori's answers today, has she told the truth?

Friday 23 November 2012

Author Hot Seat - Lydia Michaels


The author hot seat specials are designed to help readers get to know some of today's popular and up and coming authors a little better. The questions are broken into four sections - About your writing, about you, fun stuff and finally. Some of the questions are easy, other may need a little more thought and some may cause our author friends to hesitate before answering. Still, they all answer.
 
Today we have Author Lydia Michaels in our author hot seat, let's see how she goes :)
 
Welcome to the Authors Hot Seat, Lydia.  Make yourself comfortable and we'll get started by asking some easy questions.
 
 About your writing:
 
How did you get started as a writer?

Journaling. It just made sense to put parts of my life in chapters. Once I finished my first memoir I tried my hand at fiction, focusing on Romance.

Why do you write?

I write because I absolutely love it. It's an addiction.

Have you ever had a day you wanted to quit and never write again?

Yes, the day I received my 30th rejection. Fortunately I forced myself to write something new and that series (The Order of Vampyres) is one of my greatest successes. Through all of those rejections I also learned how to be a much better writer.


Do you feel lucky to be doing what you are doing?

I don't think lucky is a big enough word to describe how grateful I am for being able to write for a living. It is truly my dream and I don’t know a word great enough to describe how special it is to live your dream.

Tell me how you got to where you are today?

Determination. I’m actually dyslexic and have always struggled with reading. It wasn't until I discovered romances that I discovered what people meant when they said reading for pleasure. Once I hit on something of high interest, I began devouring romance novels, reading close to 300 a year. After that I started writing. I'm terrible at spelling. I taught myself how to spell all the words I didn't learn in school and worked extremely hard to get my work up to a publisher's standards. Where other authors have a rough, first, and final draft, I tend to have between 7 and 15 drafts. Dyslexia is definitely a challenge, but I wouldn’t trade it in for a perfect mind because it is the source of my creativity. I actually dedicate a good amount of time giving motivational speeches at middle schools about being an author with a learning disability. I love what I do and once I realized it was my dream of all dreams I gave it everything I had and I finally made it.

How do your family/spouses react to your work as an author? Do they know what you write?

Yes, everyone from my husband to my grandmothers know what I write. They are extremely supportive. I am surrounded by amazing people who celebrate every bit of good news by my side and arrive with an arsenal of wine when there's any bad news. They are incredible, especially my husband. He is amazing!

 About you:

What are you passionate about in life?

Family, love, writing, helping others.

If you had to give a thank-you speech at the Oscars, who would you thank and what would you say?

Basically what I wrote in my “Acknowledgement” of my first published book, Called to Order:

In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.
 
~Albert Schweitzer

The challenging journey of an unpublished author is an overwhelming one. This is my first published work, and I never would have accomplished such a dream if not for the inspiring people who encouraged me along the way. To those of you who never allowed my inner fire to burn out and continuously reminded me that every dream worth having was worth working for, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To my mother and father, thank you for always letting me tie my own shoes even when I didn’t know how. Thank you for getting me a computer before they were considered necessities. Thank you for all the ways you have nurtured my creativity even when you didn’t quite understand it. And thank you for ingraining in me the confidence to be myself and the firm belief that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to.

I would also like to thank the many friends and family members who have anxiously awaited this moment with enthusiasm, blind confidence, and unconditional support at every bump, turn, and dip along the way.

Thank you to all the teachers, especially Ms. Good and Sue Antonelli, who helped me believe I was more than just a dyslexic student, that there were greater tragedies in life than not knowing how to spell, and helped me see that I possessed a mind capable of great things. Your encouragement and support throughout the years has influenced me more than you know.

Thank you to my book club girls and all of you who patiently advised me on ways to improve my craft.

Thank you to all the readers out there. I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.

And finally, a very special thank you to my husband, Mike. Without you, nothing else matters. You are the other half of my soul, and I thank God every day that I have found you. You are my most coveted treasure and closest friend. You are as depended on and indescribable as the air I breathe. You are the meaning behind my favorite song, the magic of Christmas morning, the sparkle in our daughter’s eyes, and the inspiration of every unwritten romantic thought hidden between the lines. I know I can accomplish anything, so long as you never let go of my hand. Thank you, Mike, for always supporting my dreams and for sharing that secret part of your soul with me that no one else gets to see. I love you.

**Yeah, they’d probably cue the music about a quarter of the way through all that, but what can I say? I’m thankful to a lot of great people. Lol.**


What are the three most important life lessons you’ve learned that might make life easier for others?
 
Nice matters and useless stress is just that, useless.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. Whom would it be and why?

I have no idea…Santa Clause? I could send people all kinds of stuff I know they need and can’t afford.

What's the worst thing you did as a kid?

I don’t know, lol, I probably repressed the memory. Once I crashed my bike into a parked car by accident and broke the taillight. I fled the scene (and I knew who’s car it was…I still haven’t told him.)

What do you do to have fun?

I love relaxing with friends. I'm a big fan of camping or just sitting around a fire laughing with good company.

Share a funny incident in your life.

Okay, I thought about this for a while, and this—although embarrassing—is undeniably funny. I have a big immediate family. A few years ago we went to Disney World. It was like the Griswolds in Wally World, but with more cursing. It was August and a bazillion degrees out. My hair had given up on its fight against frizz. I was hot, sticky, and miserable as I waited in line at Animal Kingdom with my afro. My family wasn’t too fond of me in that moment either. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a gigantic bird flies overhead and poops on my face! I freak out and demand someone give me a tissue. Every member of my loving family of course reached into their bags. Not a single one of those %&$#@&^ pulled out a tissue though. Each one whipped out a camera and took my picture. Ten years later, my husband and I took our daughter to Disney. We’re sitting in Epcot, feeding the ducks and BOOM! One poops on my neck! Thanks to technology, this time when I asked for a tissue my hysterical husband pulled out his phone and sent a mass text with picture. She got *&^% on again!

Fun Stuff:

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

This is hard because I don’t really watch TV and am terrible with celebrity names. It would have to be somebody chubby. If my life was a movie I'd want it to be realistic. My own imperfection and forced confidence played a huge role in my choices as a girl. I'd want my movie to be 'real' so that others could relate. Nobody’s perfect.

If you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

Coffee ice.

What is your favorite color- food- song- movie?

Color: Purple

Food: Ice cream (Coffee heath bar crunch)

Song: U2 Where the Streets have no Name, almost anything by Coldplay, Sir Duke by Stevie Wonder, and Double Dutch Bus.

Movie: Love Actually, Family Stone, Braveheart, Boonedock Saints

What's the funniest pick up line ever used on you?

You’re eyes are as blue as window cleaner (My eyes are brown).

What's the one thing you can't live without?

My family and friends.

And finally...

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:



-An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
-An old friend who once saved your life.
-The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
You can only fit one person in your car, who would you choose to offer a ride to?

The old lady. My friend would understand and I already have the perfect partner in my life.

Thanks for being with us today Lydia, I hope you had fun answering the questions. To finish lets have a look at a couple of Lydia's Books. If your interested in seeing more of Lydia's books please visit www.LydiaMichaels.org  


Destiny Calls by Lydia Michaels (winner of the Top Bite Award from Bitten by Paranormal Romance).
After making the ultimate sacrifice in order to save his perfect brother and mate, Cain Hartzler’s patience with Destiny has grown thin. Resigned to an eternity spent alone, Cain decides it’s time to choose his own Destiny once and for all. But every choice he makes holds a greater consequence than the last.
There is only so much an immortal heart can take, and once Destiny Santos grabs hold of Cain’s, he is changed forever. Cain’s ever-confident bad-boy reputation is shaken to the core by this mere mortal, and he will do anything to have her, but another female has set her heart on Cain, and he must make an impossible choice once again.

A storm unlike any other is coming, The Order is changing, and passion will burn hotter than ever before when Cain Hartzler is finally pushed too far. There is no escaping Destiny when she calls!

 



White Chocolate by Lydia Michaels
Kat D’Angelo’s bittersweet life is about to get decadent. Four years after the scandal of her young pregnancy, Kat has finally managed to come to terms with her otherwise lackluster life. Budgeted to the penny and scheduled to the minute, Kat’s highest priority is her daughter, Mia. After being deserted by Mia’s father, abandoned by her conservative family, and broke to the point of near starvation, Kat has grown into a woman incapable of trusting others with her happiness. She is determined, for the sake of her daughter, to maintain a simple, organized life, free of unnecessary pleasures. However, when Tyson Adams, a successful, African American entrepreneur, becomes her new neighbor, Kat learns that some pleasures are too sweet to resist.


A beautiful telling of the power of love, the fear of diversity and a mother’s unconditional sacrifice that bursts with emotion, touches the heart, and erupts with passion. Unforgettable.
 


Happy Thanksgiving


  

I just thought I'd wish everyone in the US a very happy Thanksgiving. We don't have the holiday over here in Australia, a few boat loads of criminals being sent to a foreign land clearly weren't in a celebrating mood when they arrived, so it's all a bit of a foreign concept to me. However, I do love the idea of giving thanks for ancestors who've gone before us, for the freedom we all enjoy and for having friends, family and loved ones around us to enrich our lives. I also hear that there are huge sales on Friday... hmm, shopping, bargains, another thing to be thankful for... Lol.

Anyway I hope you all enjoy your turkey today, I have to wait until Christmas to get my holiday roast, unless we decide to eat salad because it's so hot to cook a turkey... Lol.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.


Tuesday 20 November 2012

Truth or Dare Tuesday with Andra Ashe

Today's Truth or Dare guest is Andra Ashe. Andra is an author of erotic romance from Australia. Yes, there are clearly a few authors from down under who like to pen a naughty novel. If you're interested in taking a peak at what books Andra has available please visit her website at www.andraashe.com.

When I asked Andra why she chose truth over dare and after reading her answers I must say I was surprised that she didn't take me up on a dare. Here's what she said.

I chose Truth over Dare because although I’m happy to get up to all sorts of naughty mischief, sometimes in semi public, I’m really not into drawing attention to myself in other ways. Also, I love talking about myself, lol.


Who is a movie villain you find attractive?

Okay, this is gonna seem totally bizarre, but I’ve always had a soft spot for Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs.  Yes, he’s a psychotic serial killer, but he has his own warped morals and has total respect for Clarice.  He admires her strength and honesty and would never hurt her. 

 
What do you think your best and worse physical attributes?

I’m lucky enough to have good genetics and don’t look my age which, when you’re over 50, is a huge bonus.  Worst physical attribute is very unattractive teeth. 

 
What feature of yours are you self-conscious about?

Apart from the teeth mentioned previously, my height.  If I wear my beloved 3” stilettos then I’m  6’ tall and that puts me taller than most people, male and female. 


What is the longest you have gone without having sex?

In the last 35 years – 3 months.


If your significant other said it was okay would you cheat on them and with whom?

J  This is easy because we already have this arrangement, but it’s certainly not ‘cheating’ when it’s done with your partner’s full permission and encouragement.  I have someone who I see every few months for dinner and ‘dessert’.  My significant other loves to hear all the sexy details when I get home. 

Where is the strangest place you’ve ever had sex?

Not sure if these qualify as ‘strange’, I’ll let you be the judge: baby change room at the airport, board room table at the office (after hours), back doorway of a restaurant in Melbourne’s Chinatown – and giving a BJ in the back seat of a cab. 


See what I mean everybody...totally daring. Even if we don't have photographic evidence I still believe all of the above is true. Thanks for being with us today Andra, I hope I can convince you to come back again and next time do a dare. What does everyone else think, should Andra do a dare?

Saturday 17 November 2012

Birthday Party Book Bash

My friend Paloma Beck turns 40 (shh...don't say I told you) on November 17th 2012.
She's decided to have some fun and celebrate her birthday with readers and her author friends. So for her birthday Paloma has gathered together a collection of really great books from some incredible authors around the world and is highlighting them on her Blog Romance Beckons today. 
 
Paloma also has some great giveaways as well as all sorts of book blurbs for you to read with links to purchase anything that tickles your fancy.
 
Happy Birthday Paloma...may your day be filled with love.
 
Have fun everyone :)
 
 


Friday 16 November 2012

Author Hot Seat - M.S. Spencer

The author hot seat specials are designed to help readers get to know some of todays popular and up and coming authors a little better. The questions are broken into four sections - About your writing, about you, fun stuff and finally. Some of the questions are easy, other may need a little more thought and some may cause our author friends to hesitate before answering. Still, they all answer.
 
Well it's Friday again and that means an author is in the hot seat today. Meredith Spencer was eager to take up the challenge, answer the difficult questions and share some an excerpt from her latest release Artful Dodging. Please welcome Meredith to the Hot Seat.

 
About your writing:

How did you get started as a writer?

The kindergarten teacher handed me a crayon. If it weren’t for fires, floods and about thirty moves I’d be one of those people found buried under reams of paper by the K-9 unit.

Why do you write?


Because I have to!

Have you ever had a day you wanted to quit and never write again?


No. There are times when my heart isn’t in it, and the writing is poor, but I relax and wait for inspiration to reappear.

Do you feel lucky to be doing what you are doing?


Totally, absolutely, fabulously lucky. I have the luxury (retired, on pension) of being able to write anytime I want to and the good fortune to have others like my work.

Tell me how you got to where you are today?

One step at a time? I’ve lived every day as an adventure and worked hard at whatever project I have. I’ve traveled and tried new things and listened to anyone who will talk to me. As a result I’ve got a stockyard full of stories upon which to draw.

How do your family/spouses react to your work as an author? Do they know what you write? 

My children are in their 20s and, while proud of their mother, wouldn’t ever, ever consider reading my books. Ick, Mom J.

About you:

What are you passionate about in life?

Real (as in blind) justice, freedom, the liberty to pursue your own dreams without Big Brother telling you how to live and believe, respect for others and their opinions, my children. Not necessarily in that order.

If you had to give a thank-you speech at the Oscars, who would you thank and what would you say?

I’d first thank my late parents—Mother for her intrepid spirit and love of reading, Father for his love of writing, open-mindedness, and constant desire to learn. Then my late husband for his steady support, my children for existing, and my best friend Sandy who has lived through the sturm und drang of my life with a cheerful smile and optimistic attitude.

What are the three most important life lessons you’ve learned that might make life easier for others?


1)Do not talk yourself out of helping someone in need; 2)Always remember there are 2 sides to every issue (at least) and to respect the person who disagrees with you; 3)Look for the connection between you and the person you meet. It sets a common ground so you can enjoy your differences.

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional. Whom would it be and why?

Benjamin Franklin. Most celebrities lead pretty awful lives, and most people don’t really appreciate life while they’re living it no matter how beautiful it seems to others, but Franklin seemed to really love life and living.

What's the worst thing you did as a kid?

Where do I begin? I once stepped on an anthill and spent the night terrified the relatives of the dead ants were coming to get me. I once stole a candy bar, but returned it. I once skipped school only to have the school close for snow, and then I got caught anyway.

What do you do to have fun?

Besides write? I love to watch birds, cook, swim, kayak, eat, drink, read, needlepoint, watch C-Span, talk, travel, meet people in line at the grocery store who tell you odd things, check out what other people in the grocery line have in their carts and make up stories about them, go to the grocery store and indulge myself with one special item. I’d better stop now—oh will you look at the time! Off to the grocery store.

 Share a funny incident in your life.

 Strange, usually I’m a mine of humorous anecdotes, but I had to leave this question till last. I guess I might as well relate my latest misadventure, one both odd and funny. By way of background, I inherited a bungalow on a barrier island on the Gulf Coast of Florida, and when there I walk the beach every day. Each day is different and this one particularly so. That morning I had reached an isolated spot on the beach at the peak of low tide. The waves wash over a huge swath of sandbar, exposing very soft sand. I saw an old man kneeling about twenty feet out. Something about the way he moved told me he was in trouble. I leapt across the tidal pool to him. Sure enough, he was stuck in the clinging sand. Still, he seemed unusually helpless, and as I held out a hand I realized why: one arm had been cut off at the shoulder. Worse, the man had put on quite a bit of weight, perhaps to stave off the lean years. So here I am, trying to clutch a half-naked (bathing suit-clad) total stranger and lift all 200 pounds without actually touching him. It wasn’t working. I looked down the beach to see a tall, wide-shouldered, slim-hipped, blond hunk in a speedo and waved at him.  He loped toward me like a male “ten,” but when he reached us, out of his mouth spewed a slew of unintelligible words. Oh great, I thought, he’s Polish or Czech or…anyway, a language with which I am not familiar. Luckily he seemed to grasp the situation and lifted the old man with ease. I got to pull his pants up (the old man, not the hunk).

But that’s not the funny part. As the old man trudged off whistling, I tossed my hair and threw Hunk a come-hither smile. Not because I wanted to flirt, but because I’d sunk up to my thigh in quicksand. As he obligingly pulled me out, his (expletive deleted) girlfriend—yet another ten—appeared and gently dragged him off.

Fun Stuff:

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?

Rosalind Russell—no question. She was fearless, adventuresome, a true lady, and had the most marvelous jaw line.

f you were a type of food, what type of food would you be?

Didn’t someone once say, “Wine is food?” If that counts, I’d be a bottle of Bollinger Brut. If it doesn’t, I’d be the perfect raspberry, tart and sweet and soft and prickly.

What is your favorite color- food- song- movie?

Color: coral pink. 

Food: it’s easier to say what I don’t like (blanched almonds, coconut). Otherwise, if it’s not moving, I’ll eat it.

Song(s): Nessun Dorma (from the opera Turandot), and Cole Porter’s I Love Paris.

Movie(s): Ninotchka—it still makes me laugh. Or Auntie Mame.

What's the funniest pick up line ever used on you?

I don’t remember any of them being very funny. J

What's the one thing you can't live without?

Affection.

And finally:

You are driving along in your car on a wild, stormy night, it's raining heavily, when suddenly you pass by a bus stop, and you see three people waiting for a bus:
                       -An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
                       -An old friend who once saved your life.
                       -The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
You can only fit one person in your car, who would you choose to offer a ride to?

Not a problem: one in the car, one on the roof rack, and one strapped to the bumper. Guess which goes where.

M. S. Spencer’s latest release is Artful Dodging: the Torpedo Factory Murders.

 
Secret Cravings Publishing (April 2012); eBook and Print
Contemporary romantic suspense/Murder mystery, M/F, 2 flames


I’d like to introduce you to Milo Everhart and her merry band of artists. Milo makes beautiful needlepoint and her friend Tekla Spirikova makes large metal cones. Together they fight City Hall (literally) when it wants to give their beloved Torpedo Factory Art Center away. Things get complicated when their greatest adversary turns out to be the man Milo loves, and even more complicated when too many murder victims turn up.

Buy Links:


Blurb:

Waiting out the rain, Milo Everhart takes stock of her widowhood and the handsome man standing in the door to the bar.  Little does she know she will meet that man again and again under both passionate and terrifying circumstances.

Tristram Brody waits for his date, too conscious of the beautiful woman sitting by the door. Little does he know that she will hate him for trying to destroy her beloved art center, and even suspect him of murder. Nor that she will be drawn inevitably into his arms.

Little does either of them suspect they will be embroiled in not one, but two murders, in which the fate of the Torpedo Factory, an art center housed in an old munitions factory on the waterfront in Old Town Alexandria, will be decided.

Excerpt (PG): The First Date

The sleet had tapered off, and the moon began its stroll across the cumulus highway as Milo entered the restaurant. She passed through the dining room to the cozy bar in the back. Tristram sat in one of the overstuffed club chairs. He saw her and waved to the bartender.

“Jack Daniels?”

“Sure.”

He ordered drinks and a plate of assorted cheeses.

Three hours, four more rounds, and two more cheese plates later, Milo figured she’d better start asking Tristram some questions. But she didn’t really feel like it. She felt like she knew enough already, so she settled for gazing into his deep green eyes and smiling inanely. Which was okay because apparently that’s what Tristram had settled for too. Milo realized with a jolt that no one had said anything for at least five minutes. Come on, Milo. You’re too old for crushes.

“I really must be going. It’s been very…”

He reached across the table, put a gentle hand on her neck, and brought her into blissful contact with his lips. “Nice.”

She realigned her jaw and her heart and rose a little shakily. “Um.”

He jumped up. “I’ll walk you to your car.”

“I…okay.”

They walked stiffly out of the bar, stumbling only once on the threshold. Tristram steadied her. A few minutes later they broke apart to take a breath. The sidewalk had cleared during the evening, and they were alone. He took her back into his arms and kissed her, moving his tongue around the inside of her lips and making slurping noises as though she tasted like a chocolate milkshake.

He pulled away but held onto her hand. “Let’s go home.”

She let him lead her down King Street to a black Jaguar, and they drove in silence the few blocks to Lee Street. The moon rode high over a little terraced park. They watched it float a minute, then Tristram took her hand again and they went inside.

 ****
Ms. Spencer has published four contemporary romance novels. Lost in His Arms is set in the spinning world of 1991 when countries fell like flies and a CIA fixer had his hands full. In Lost and Found we follow a desperate wife searching the wilds of Maine for the husband who disappeared. Losers Keepers is a tale of love, lust and treachery set on the island of Chincoteague. Triptych, tells of jealousy and intrigue high above the Potomac River. Her latest release is Artful Dodging. Coming in January 2013 is Mai Tais & Mayhem: a Sarasota Romance.

Buy Links:
Lost in His Arms: www.redrosepublishing.com/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=282&products_id=17

Lost and Found: www.redrosepublishing/books/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=282&products_id=654

Losers Keepers: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=22&products_id=93

Triptych: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=171


To find out more about Meredith or to contact her check out these links.

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/M.S.SpencerAuthor
RomanceBooks4Us:
http://www.romancebooks4us.com/Romance%20Author%20M.%20S.%20Spencer.html

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1277387999&sr=1-2-ent