Man Candy Monday!!

It's Hawaii 5-0 tonight. So here's a treat for all you Alex O.  fans!! 
Enjoy

Man Candy Monday!

Best tail-gating idea I've
seen ....

Enjoy!

Friday Fun with Author Trish F. Leger + Give*away!

1. What is the most difficult part for me to write in a book?

I would have to say that it would be the characters, not necessarily the individual, but more like their interaction with others, or the dialogue. I've had to work on my dialogue skills lately, I still am, matter of fact. 

2. What music have I listened to lately?

Mostly it's dance or R&B, hip hop. But I enjoy any music, classical and country also. My latest favorites are Bruno Mars and Neon Trees.

3. What classic novel would you like turned into a movie?

This is scary to me because I've always loved WHITNEY MY LOVE by JUDITH MCNAUGHT, but I have a horrible feeling that they could never do it justice. The intricacy of Whitney & Clayton could never be conveyed correctly, in my opinion.

4. If I could pick a HERO for my book, which actor would it be?

For Traven (HER DRUID TEMPTATION) it would have to be Ian Somerhalder. He's a take charge, ALPHA kind of guy. For Drake (HER DRUID DESIRE) maybe Joe Manganiello from TRUE BLOOD. Drake's a big, muscular guy, so is Joe.

5. Favorite writing conference...

Well, I've only been to it once, but RWA was awesome!

6. Tropical or European vacation?

European--all that history makes me excited! ;)  I could seriously get lost over there!

*************

My links:

www.trishfleger.webs.com (website)

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Trish-F-Leger-author/160542203964448?ref=hl (author page on FB)

http://www.amazon.com/Trish-Leger/e/B008CU7MX8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1351038400&sr=1-2-ent (author page on amazon)

http://www.amazon.com/Her-Druid-Temptation-Amber-ebook/dp/B008C53PT8/ref=la_B008CU7MX8_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351038405&sr=1-1 (link for HER DRUID TEMPTATION--to purchase at Amazon).

**************

HER DRUID TEMPTATION--OUT NOW!!! (PREQUEL TO AMBER DRUID SERIES)

He’s always been her temptation…will she finally give in?

 

Liana Morgan is the consummate business woman, buttoned-up, strait-laced, and very in tune with every aspect of her restaurants. She is closed off from emotional entanglements of any kind, not letting a single distraction slip under her skin.

Now she’s in New Orleans, tying up the last few loose ends with a new restaurant, when her one temptation strolls, oh-so-casually, back into her life. Traven Campbell is an AMBER DRUID like her, and the one man she’s never been able to completely block from her mind. Every molecule of her ‘good girl’ persona wants him, and always has, but it’s not enough for her…or is it?

Traven Campbell is a player, and proud of it. He’s easy-going, laid-back, and an expert bachelor. But even womanizers have jobs. His latest is shadowing a target for the New Orleans P.D. But while on the watch, he’s shocked to see Liana, the one woman he’s never managed to coerce into bed, WITH his target.

Determined to find answers, Traven confronts Liana, and soon business and pleasure are mixing with the sultry heat of New Orleans. Will Liana finally give in? Will Traven be able to tempt her beyond her invisible moral line? Or will Traven’s target call the final shot?

HER DRUID DESIRE--COMING LATE FALL 2012

Blurb for HER DRUID DESIRE (BOOK ONE OF AMBER DRUID SERIES)

At the tender age of sixteen, Nadia Morales loses both of her parents in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. Growing up as a ward of the state of Texas, she was shy and painfully introverted. Against all odds, Nadia became one of the youngest CEO’s in the state of Texas. She learned the hard way that putting her trust in the wrong man, an insider in the business world, sometimes gets you nothing but pain and heartache. But sometimes, karma has a way of straightening out those curves life throws at you.

Meet Drake Thompson-business owner, Wall Street guru, and good ole Texas playboy- he’s got  the requisite amount of ladies fawning over him to prove it. Since the death of Nadia’s parents, he’s watched out for her, and always kept a keen eye on her business proceedings. He’s never been more proud than when she was named President for the Browning Corporation. He believes his soft spot for her is purely innocent…as that of a family member…but is it?

But each of them is hiding something life altering from the other. Nadia…her obsessive love for a man that treats her like a kid sister, and Drake, well, he’s not wholly human. While their secrets marinate in mystery and denials, the pressure builds, culminating in a final revelation of barrier breaking truths.

Will Nadia finally be able to have the man of her dreams, or will Drake’s true nature destroy this couple’s chance at love?

********** LEAVE A COMMENT FOR YOU CHANCE TO WIN 1 eBook of either of Trish's books.

Excerpt from HER DRUID TEMPTATION--

 “God, I love this city.”

            Her sultry voice slammed into his ears, slapping him out of whatever trance he’d been in.

            “I do too. Could be why I’ve lived here for the past ten years.”

            Her gorgeous eyes landed on his face. Traven felt the oddest urge to cup her cheek and hold her close.

            What in the hell was happening to him?

            “Must be the constant partying that keeps you coming back for more, right?” She asked, as they stopped at a corner to let some other traffic go by.

            Traven trailed his hand from her waist to her arm, catching her hand in his, he asked, “Why do you always assume the worst of me?”

            She looked stunned that he’d even asked that question. Traven felt an emotion from her that he’d never expected her to show in his presence: embarrassment.

            Her mouth opened but nothing came out. She tried again. “It’s just that I’ve never known you to be anything other than a constant, 24/7 party.”

            Traven didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed her hand with renewed fervor and continued on to the restaurant where they were to have supper. It was his entire fault, of course. He’d always been the consummate player, the man who’d rather party and play around, then have a serious conversation. She’d never had the chance to see him in somber mode. For the past fifty years, in her eyes, he’d shown her a shell of the man he really was. He couldn’t blame her for thinking the worst of him.

            He let his thumb rub the softest skin he’d ever felt, and glanced down into her still stunned eyes.
“For tonight, don’t picture me as the man you’ve known for the past five decades. Imagine me as someone better.”

********

Friday Fun : Meet Brittany Booker!!

Please help me welcome, BRITTANY BOOKER, to the blog! She's got a real treat for all you Paranormal fans!! Her release date is a few months away but we've got a teasing blurb for you and the link to her publisher/ Buy Link!

You can follow  Brittany's Blog to keep updates on when you can order this great book!

Thanks for being here today, Brittany!  Love the cover ........(tee-hee) I can say that with pride because Kim Killion of Hot Damn Designs --where I work -- did the beautiful manchest;)

****

Was your road to publication a delightful stroll in the park or a tiring jog over hot coals?

 Oh, it was anything but easy. I was rejected so many times that I could receipt a rejection letter by heart. Black Opal gave me a chance no one else would.
What is the most difficult for you to write: Characters, conflict, emotions?

  Hmm. I would say emotions. The characters use a lot of dialect and that’s always easy for me. Emotions can be tricky; sometimes it’s so easy to repeat words when a character has a certain emotion. Publishers or readers do not like that, so it’s best to try to use a wide variety of words.
 Do you have critique partners?

  Jordy Albert, another jr. literary agent from the Corvisiero Literary Agency. I ask her to read over my things. She never has a problem with helping me and gives me her honest opinion. I love and appreciate her so much. 
If you were going to cast the hero of your book, what actor would get the part?

  I already know this one! Steven Strait. He would make an awesome Darrton. 

If you could time travel would you go forward or backward?

Definitely backwards. I would stop in the 80s because I love their clothing. But, I think I would like to go to the Victorian age, it sounds so beautiful.
 What was the best advice you were given leading you to getting published? 

I’m sure this is worn out, but don’t give up. Oh, and get over your work. Use the critiques people give you and go forward to your dreams. 

Damned Blurb

Elizabeth “Lizzie” Lawrence thinks her junior year in school is complete when her ex fling Trevor asks her out again.  But, oh, how she was wrong. Lizzie comes home to find Death of the four horsemen in her back yard. Darrton is arrogant, rude, self-centered, dangerously gorgeous and out to kill. Lizzie takes care of Darrton while he is healing from being damned to earth, but it has consequences she can only imagine. With Warren and Caden of the horsemen after her, Lizzie ends up making decisions that will save Darrton but curse her. Will their growing love for one another be enough to break the bond Lizzie will makes to save Darrton’s soul, or will she be damned just the same? 

BUY LINK:

http://bookstore.blackopalbooks.com/

New Release Wednesday + Give*Away!

 Please help me welcome my friend and debut author (read: very talented, new favorite of mine), LILIA FORD! I think you all will LOVE her novel, THE HEARTWOOD BOX. It's an Epic Fairy Tale, written in wonderfully descriptive way that will transport you to another (sensual) world filled with 3 very sexy brothers ;)

Lilia will give away 1 e-copy (from Amazon) to a lucky commentator so be sure to leave your email addy ;)

Thanks for being here today, Lilia! :)

   

    Where is your favorite place to write?  I hate to admit this, but I do 95% of my writing in bed.  It’s very un-feng-shui, but I got into the habit in graduate school when I literally didn’t have room for a desk and a bed in my room, so the bed became the desk. 

    Do you have critique partners?  My sister is a writer in Hollywood, and I literally could not do this without her.  Though he’ll probably howl if he reads this, my husband—he’s more of a supporter than a critic.  I recently read a piece on Writer Unboxed called “The Bipolar Writer.”  I think many writers will recognize this: one day you’re chugging along, incredibly happy with your work and then the next you’re convinced that, “I suck. To be more precise, I suck in ways that no other human has ever sucked.”  I am susceptible to this affliction.  My husband is extremely good at using humor and remarks like “stop it—you sound like a complete loon,” or “you sound like my mother” to snap me out of my pity-fests.

   What music are you listening to lately?  Right now my absolute favorite band is Kasabian from Leicester, England.

Tell us a little about your WIP.  I am about 240 pages into my second novel, A Biddable Witch, which is set outside Prague, the wizard capitol, 400 years earlier than the events in The Heartwood Box.  In this world, each wizard has a witch who is his destined consort.  Normally witches are sent at a young age to special “Coven Seminaries,” where they are brainwashed to be completely submissive to wizards.  (I should add here that wizards as a group are tall, “insufferably handsome,” and naturally dominant.)  Prosper, our hero, has never found his destined witch, leaving him with far less power than he should have.  A tip leads him and his (extremely hot) apprentice, Sebastian, to a remote farm, where they discover our heroine, Laura, who is passing as a human.  As it happens, she is his consort, and Prosper is not about to let her go.  Unfortunately, Laura’s experiences growing up in a human orphanage and working as a farm-laborer have not turned her into the meek, obedient, well-mannered creature that Prosper was expecting.  

 What is your favorite dessert/food?  Homemade mac n’ cheese—I could eat it every day.  Actually….

 ***************** 

Blurb: 

BEWARE THE GIFTS OF THE FAE.  Battered by the attacks of the demon king, the Fae Queen, Titania, promised her greatest warrior, Declan, that his line would never fail.  To keep her promise, she made a bargain with a human village.  She would gift each girl with a magical heartwood box.  When it came time to marry, the girl’s box would change color to reveal her true love.  But there was a catch: in each generation, one girl’s box would turn black.  She must give herself as a bride to a member of the Black family.

After his brothers failed to find brides, Damian Black knows he must be ruthless.  If he fails to marry, Faerie may fall.  The moment he sees Genevieve Miran, he path is clear.  Marry her and get her safely locked up in his castle before she can escape him.  The shy Genevieve can’t resist when the gorgeous warrior does everything he can to charm her.  But Damian never dreamt that he might have rivals for Genevieve’s love—or that the rivals might be his own brothers.

 *******

You can find the e-book edition of The Heartwood Box: A Fairy Tale on Amazon.  The print edition will be available any day!

Excerpt:

“My captive may speak only when given permission,” Damian drawled.

Genevieve’s eyes widened in a delicious-looking panic. As in the past, she seemed helpless to resist him. Her lips were pursed, her breathing short, a lovely blush spread over her body. In the three days since he’d met her, she’d already lost some of the unhealthy pallor she’d sported at the Bridal Week picnic.

Damian reached over his head and picked up a basket. He glanced inside and then popped a cherry in his mouth, giving her a lazy smile. He pulled out the pit and tossed it in the hearth. He ate several more in the same leisurely fashion as her eyes narrowed furiously.

Finally, he held a cherry just above her lips. She breathed in, as if trying to master her rage. He dangled it above her until she lost the battle with temptation and stretched for it. He pulled it out of the way a few times teasingly and then finally allowed her to put her plump lips over it. After she’d eaten it, he held out his hand for her to spit out the pit.

He continued to eat cherries, every minute or so allowing her to have one. Every time she stretched for the cherry, her breasts would peak through the covering of honey-colored hair. Finally, when he’d had a dozen and she’d had only five, he put the basket down against her knees—so close and yet entirely out of reach. If she’d been kneeling properly, with her knees as far apart as they could stretch, he could have placed the basket in an even more tantalizing spot. All in good time.

Friday Fun + Give*Away: Meet MIA DOWNING!

Please help me welcome the talented MIA DOWNING to the blog today! I'm so glad to have MIA here today (first time) and happy to report she'll be back next month with a new release! Yay!

Thanks for being here, Mia :)

Thank you so much for having me, Jennifer! I’m excited to be here and I’m such a fan of your writing. Rafe was a delicious find out in the mountains! I doubt I’d ever get that lucky. LOL

I’d love to give away a copy of EXCEEDING BOUNDARIES  to a lucky commenter. Make sure you leave your email addy. I’ll get back to you with the format of your choice! It’s a juicy, conflicted read, so it’s worth the comment!

    *  Was your road to publication a delightful stroll in the park or a tiring jog over hot coals?

I think it was more of a run through the park being chased by zombies. I’m lucky, I happened to be in the right place and right time when I submitted to my editor, so she saved me from the zombies. I started writing again in 2000, was a contest slut, won prizes, got rejected by a big six NYC editor over the phone with a request to write for a different line (I wasn’t ready to do what she wanted.) Then I listened to a friend who basically killed the dream with one sentence. That, along with health issues, put the dream in the trash can until this year when the stories decided they needed to be heard.

* Where is your favorite place to write?

Right now it’s on the laptop at the barn. We just got a horse, and we have two cows. They don’t all fit into the barn, and the horse is protective of his space. The horse comes out to eat, but needs to be watched (he doesn’t have a stall yet and I envision him playing Jacob’s ladder with his lead rope.) So I have two hours a day of writing time on the laptop. It’s peaceful, I take coffee, and if I spend a little longer on the laptop, the horse doesn’t complain.

* Do you have critique partners?

No. A critique partner (CP) can be a catalyst for good or evil. Unfortunately, I ended up in hell paddling the boat that goes back and forth across the River Styx, collecting coins from dead people. LOL I gave up fiction and instead turned to other venues within the business (technical and ghost writing.) But I couldn’t stay away, so finally I got brave. I do have two very close friends I use to bounce ideas and give more of an overview once I’ve written what I need to write. I also use a beta reader now and then. Of course my editor is a valuable tool though I try to make everything as perfect as possible before she gets the book. I do sound ideas off her, and she’s my biggest cheering section!

* What music are you listening to lately?

Each book has its own sound track and I have to go and find music that fits that scene/character. I know I have the right song when I put it on repeat and don’t hear it anymore. Weird, but that’s me.

The Spy Games series have songs that can mix and match because the characters are in every book. Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger was Kate’s music. Chase makes love to Kate to Snow Patrol’s Set Fire to the Third Bar. Charlotte loves Niki Minaj’s Starships. Jake thinks Rick Springfield’s song, Jesse’s Girl is too ironic and changes the lyrics to Chase’s Girl. LOL. Right now I’m on a 30 Seconds to Mars Kick. Jared Leto is mine. I’d like to see him on a Mancandy Monday!

Exceeding Boundaries, my first book, was written to Maroon 5’s Never Gonna Leave This Bed and a few others. Funny but I can’t listen to that song now, for this series. I only hope my characters don’t wish for country music. I hate it.

* If you could switch places with one of your characters would you?

Yes, I’ve always wanted to be Kate. She went from nerdy and frumpy to having a kick ass body, great boobs and nicer hair thanks to the government. She is optimistic and full of determination, willing to change to become what she needs to be for her job and for her relationship with Chase. Chase is not an easy man to love because he has so many facets behind the gorgeous face and bossy attitude. But more importantly, I love how she grows and becomes empowered by her new role as a spy, and how she has two men that love her so deeply. Granted, she would die first for Chase, but she loves her partner, Jake, too.

* Tell us a little about your WIP.

I just finished the last Spy Games Endgame. Charlotte Smith is a secret agent marking time until her final mission is put into play. Right now she’s Aaron James’ bodyguard. He’s an actor who got himself into a bit of trouble and needs protecting. He’s also Jake’s younger brother, who is the hero for book two, and plays an important role in book one.

And I’m also in the middle of a male/male targeted for the Boys Of Summer series TWRP has running this summer. It’s a best friends story and very heartbreaking to write at times.

Exceeding Boundaries BLURB:

Lawyer Megan Connors wants a man, one that will wine her, dine her, and help her to forget the pain of a date rape she experienced as a teen. Her boss, Adam Wentworth, is just the man--tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed, and a confirmed player. He's perfect for a weekend of non-committal sex that will entice her inner woman out to play for good. So Megan devises a plan for seduction, one that will lure Adam into her arms. 

Adam has been attracted to Megan since day one, but his preference for dominance and her fragile air kept him at bay. Megan's kiss under forgotten mistletoe is just the fuel his lust needs to exceed the boundaries she once put in place. He's game, but he wants more than a weekend with the vulnerable yet sexy Megan. 

When the weekend is over, will Megan allow the past to keep her bound or can Adam convince her she’s strong enough to submit? 

BUY Links:

AMAZON

http://www.amazon.com/Exceeding-Boundaries-ebook/dp/B008GWRC32/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342148307&sr=8-1&keywords=exceeding+boundaries

THE WILD ROSE PRESS

http://www.wilderroses.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=87&products_id=866

Blog: www.miadowning.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5754711.Mia_Downing

Twitter:  miadowning007

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mia.downing.35?ref=tn_tnmn

Friday Fun: Meet author Ramona Butler!

Please help me welcome Ramona Butler and her great new Novel BORDER HEAT!
You can find out more about Ramona at her Website

Thanks so much for being here today, Ramona! I LOVE the cover for BORDER HEAT! Can't wait to read it.
****
Thanks, Jennifer.

Late Bloomer
I've always claimed to be a "late bloomer" but this borders on the ridiculous. Why?  Because it took me so many years to decide to even reach for that star -- go after my lifelong dream of publication.  Would you believe I began Border Heat before my detour to write six books with a good friend, the first of which made us a Golden Heart finalists on our initial attempt?
No, we didn't win, but our teamwork meshed so well it resulted in four published novels before I decided to fly alone.
My mother always said I had a stubborn streak -- from my father's side of the family, of course.  Still you can't begin to guess how long the romantic adventure, Border Heat, languished half-written in my heart and in my computer.
Five years?   Ten?  Ha Ha Ha!
So, now, at long last, it is with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, that I bring you an brief excerpt from my romantic adventure Border Heat  (published by Champagne Books --) -- the first book to carry my name as author.

BLURB:
Special Agent Jess Hightower, working undercover as a tour guide, knows he’s in trouble as soon as he catches sight of Caroline Cody’s red hair. What is the beautiful babe doing on a senior citizens’ tour of Mexico’s famed Copper Canyon? 

Red haired travel agent Caroline Cody blames a Tarot Death card for her latest assignment: an on-site review and evaluation of a tour tailed specifically for senior citizens, a trip that experiences trouble from the get-go. When her first meeting with tour guide Jess Hightower ends in disaster, she suspects he isn’t an experienced tour leader, but she can’t begin to foresee the danger he represents to the tour group—or to her heart.

EXCERPT:
 
A gunshot shattered the silence.  And from out of nowhere, a large form, blacker than the black night, slammed her to the ground, covered her.  Air swooshed from her lungs.  She gasped for breath, twisting, thrashing, fighting the hulk that had landed on top of her.  When her knee struck soft tissue, she was rewarded with a oath, then a hoarse, low-pitched, "For God's sake, stop your squirming.  I'm trying to save your unappreciative hide!"
Stunned by recognition of that husky rumble, she stilled.  "Jess?"  Lord, he was heavy.  Solid muscle.
"Shhh, don't talk."  Words breathed against her temple.
"Get off me, you--"
His callused hand covered her mouth and shut off her words.  She twisted again, writhing, bucking--with no success whatsoever.

Many thanks, Jennifer, for allowing me a spot to brag about this long awaited accomplishment.

--Ramona Butler
Buy Link
www.ramonabutler.com
http://ramonabutler.blogspot.com/
 http://www.facebook.com/#1/pages/Ramona-Butler/201924266492805



And, for those who might be interested, here is a list of the books I co-authored with Louise Crawford before attempting my solitary flight:

Jaded Hearts
http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI"/dp/HYPERLINK http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4V4ASZI"BOO4V4ASZI

Lonesome Cowboy series
Sabrina Says http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G"/dp/BOO4WSQQ3G
Trouble in 3-D http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4yr549W"BOO4yr549W
Sagebrush Cinderella http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO523KDA2"BOO523KDA2


Silver State Wild Romance series
Dance with Destiny   http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BOO4UWPKMC"BOO4UWPKMC
High Flying Love http://amzn.comHYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8"/dp/HYPERLINK "http://amzn.com/dp/BO4VNVCV8"BO4VNVCV8

(All of the above are also available via Smashwords.com)