Friday Fun! Meet author Jocelyn Bell!

Thanks for being here, Jocelyn! Just gotta say how much I really loved this novella. Coop is a hero to die for! :) Best of luck and wishing you tons of sales!

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TGIF! First I would like to say thank you to Jennifer Jakes for hosting me on her blog today. I always have a good time when I am here and look forward to getting to know all of her great readers!

I thought I would talk a little about Pen Names, because I was always fascinated with them as a reader and as an aspiring writer, it didn’t make sense that someone would not want to take full credit for their work. Then as an author it suddenly came up and I found some pretty rational and maybe one, tiny little, less rational reason to use pen names! J Here is my quirky story on pen names.

Many authors have pen names and I am sure that everyone has their own special reason. I use them for three reasons. One, because I write more than one genre and I don't want anyone who is a fan of my Contemporary Romances (Kelly Rae) to be offended should they pick up one of my Adult Contemporary Romances (Jocelyn Bell), that includes my dad who only needs to know about the less steamy books!

Second, I chose not to use my married last name, because I didn't want my ex-husband to get a sliver of credit for my words, my work. It sounds less rational as I write it down, but it's the truth! So, I made a deal with my son to put his name all over the place in my Contemporary works, because at nine he was concerned that no one would know that I belonged to him. Super amazing kid, right? RIGHT! I wanted my novels to be all mine, so Kelly Rae it is!  

And thirdly (what an odd word, lol),  I chose to name my alter ego Jocelyn Bell, which is so far removed from my actual name, because she is really another whole side of me. As a writer I can be anything I want, write about anything I want, BE whomever I want. What power?

When I am writing books like, What If... I am the hopeless romantic, mushy, endless love sort of woman. But I cannot sustain this raw, sometimes overwhelming emotion all the time. There are days I am cynical or a real non-believer in happily-ever-after’s and more of a happy for now, sort of girl. On these days, I prefer to write about lust, not love. Or work on romances that are meant to be grand and wonderful, but short-lived.

Not every couple is meant for happily-ever- after. On those occasions Jocelyn Bell gets to come out and play and write novellas like the Voyeur Series, a three-part novella series about finding the person that fits for right now and doesn't focus so much on the forever and ever part. In the first novella Dare Me , a recently divorced Gina finds that her neighbor next door is the perfect escape from thinking about the loser husband who left her for a barista. In Want Me, which came out on December 18th, Angie is trying to avoid good-looking charming men and take her mother's advice to find a mediocre looking man, because they don't cheat. The only problem, her new roommate is fire and sweetness all rolled into one. What's a girl to do...beg him to leave or beg him to stay?

I love getting to be all the sides of myself as I write a new story. In my computer sit at least five different genres of started stories, on some I will write The End and others will just sit. But, either way for the moments that I spent writing a bit on each one, I got to be exactly who I am/was, in that moment. It's some pretty powerful stuff to get to express all of who you are in your work. Sometimes, the characters and stories are nothing of me or my life and all of my imagination, which is just as much fun. I think it must be why there are so many people who want to be actors in this world. It’s fun to be someone else for a while. The opportunity to be all that you are and nothing of who you are at the same time is very intoxicating!

Writing is simply the best!

For those of you who also enjoy a steamier read from time to time, Dare Me is currently available on Amazon, just click here to purchase, or preview if you like. If you stop by and grab a copy today, it’s FREE and there is an excerpt of novella number two, Want Me, in the back. This baby just got a new cover this month and I LOVE it!

       

If you have already read Dare Me and are ready to step into my next novella click here or on the cover above to preview or purchase Want Me!  Thanks for stopping in today, Happy New Year and New Books to all of you!

Xoxo

Jocelyn Bell

New Release Wednesday!

Please help me welcome the talented LOUISA MASTERS! And be sure to check out her new release ONE NIGHT IN A BAR here
And leave a comment for your chance to win an e-copy!

Thanks for being here today, Louisa!
*****

All the best stories start with "So I was painting my nails sparkly green..." Seriously. They do.

So I was painting my nails sparkly green, watching Castle on TV and surfing facebook—just a typical Sunday night—when the power went out. Poop. Fortunately, the glow from the screen allowed me to put the polish safely on the table and fumble around for some candles. Unfortunately, I was missing one of the few TV shows I actually allow myself to watch and I'd just totally ruined my manicure.

I sat there in the candlelight, my laptop hibernating because I didn't know how long the power would be out and I didn't want to waste the charge, and I'm bored out of my mind. I wasn't in the mood to read—unusual for me, but typical for the situation—no TV, no laptop, not enough light for crafts or cleaning. I started thinking about stupid things, like if the blackout lasted until morning, how the hell was I going to get the car out of the garage (yes, I know there's a manual release). And that led to wondering what happens in hotels when the power goes out. Do those key-card locks release? Or are you closed out of your room? Do you wander the halls, lit only by the glow of emergency lighting, shadowy corners everywhere...

Ka-ching! Hello, new plot.

Still unwilling to risk the charge on my laptop, I pulled out a notepad and began to write longhand. I got very involved...in fact, I only realized how long it had been when the candles began to flicker. The story is still unnamed, but it started when I was painting my nails sparkly green—and it promises to be awesome!

My latest release, One Night in a Bar, was written in the normal fashion, on my laptop, but is still pretty amazing.

Ever had a one—night stand who didn't want to go away? What happens when your one-nighter comes back into your life...?
Karen comes home unexpectedly to find her boyfriend cheating on her with her (male) boss, and another man. Can she really be blamed for pulling out the mace when they invite her to join in?
She mourns the loss of her job at a bar, gets a little tipsy...and somehow, she ends up having sex in an alley with tall, dark, and sexy Daniel. Something she’s never done before. Good thing they'll never see each other again, right?
Wrong...
One month into a new job, she lands a fabulous new client, world—renowned sculptor Crogan. Except, Daniel Crogan turns out to be her one—hour stand. And professionalism is the last thing on his mind.
What's a girl to do in this situation? Should she insist on a working relationship only, or give in to the demands of her body? And what happens when Daniel wants to sculpt her...in the nude?

You can read an excerpt and buy One Night in a Bar here and please visit my site to see what else I'm working on. In the meantime, I'm giving one lucky commenter a copy of Inter-Office Relations.

Huge thanks to Jennifer for being such a wonderful host!

New Release Wednesday!!

Please help me welcome one of my favorite authors, RANDI ALEXANDER! Her writing is ...can you say, HOT, HOT, HOT? So without further ado........

Thanks for being here today, Randi!

New Release, Contest, and Book Giveaway!

I want to thank Jennifer for letting me guest blog today. I'm Randi Alexander and I write cowboy erotic romance. I'm published with The Wild Rose Press' Cowboy Kink line. My second Cowboy Kink, Her Cowboy Stud, was released March 23.

Jennifer and her readers know the appeal of a sexy cowboy. Whether they're riding the range today or did so hundreds of years ago, there's just something about a cowboy that makes us *sigh*

I enjoy watching cowboys when I go to rodeos. There are a lot of them in the stands. Young guys with their girlfriends, their eyes showing longing and envy as the bull riders take center stage. Older cowboys wearing their rodeo jackets filled with patches from wins they logged years ago.

Quite often, I'll strike up a conversation with a cowboy, ask about their patches, or comment on their boots. It's always followed by the powerful stink-eye sent my way by their lady friend. But when I mention I'm a writer, and doing research for my next book, the suspicious scowl turns to a smile, and I inevitably hear, "Oh, you could write a whole book on this one."

I've heard stories about cowboys saving livestock from raging rivers, saving people from stampeding cattle, capturing rustlers with only a flashlight, and taking down bank robbers who dared cross the wrong ranch.

And all of these stories come from the lady friend, not the cowboy himself. Cowboys are shy, for the most part. They don't brag about themselves to strangers, they think the extraordinary things they do are just part of their jobs.

And talk about considerate. They're nearly always gentlemen, raised to believe in courtesy and self-restraint. Their sense of responsibility – toward their families, their livestock, their land, and the environment – is admirable.

It's that inherent self-restraint that makes them such a fun mystery to solve. It makes me want to ask a hundred questions and try to get inside their minds. I'm heading to a rodeo in a few months, and I'd love to take your questions with me and get some real cowboy answers. What are the things you would ask a cowboy, if you had the chance? Leave a comment and you'll have a chance to win an e-copy of my first Cowboy Kink novel, Chase and Seduction.

Blurb: HER COWBOY STUD 

Trace McGonagall’s quiet life on his Houston stud ranch is shaken up when gorgeous Macy Veralta arrives to claim an inheritance left to her in his uncle’s will. Trace sees her as just another gold digger, but he also can’t resist her curvy body. When she hints at being the perfect submissive to his Dom, he has to have her.

Macy wouldn’t have been three months late to claim her inheritance if she’d known Trace was sin in jeans. The cowboy’s dominant bearing and the smoldering glint in his eyes send shivers to her toes and stirs images of being bound in his bed and disciplined at his hand. But could Trace’s perfect seduction be part of his plan to reclaim her inheritance?

EXCERPT: Over 18 only please.

A loud whinny erupted from a corral followed by male shouts. Trace stared over Macy's shoulder. “Sorry, I need to tend to this.” He glanced down her legs. “You bring any sensible shoes?”

She stared at her pink painted toenails. “Yes, I have—”

“Put ‘em on and head over to the first barn. I’ll meet you there.” He took off at a lope.

She hoped everything was okay. As she watched him go, her mind blanked. Wow, she could watch him from behind for hours. His form fitting jeans showed off his really nice ass. As he jogged, his thigh muscles bunched. Impressive. Not only was he built like a stud, he owned a stud farm. Ironic? Maybe.

Maybe not.

She popped the trunk, dug out her flip flops, and slid into them. Dusting off her “take me” sandals, she set them carefully in the trunk. If all went well, she’d get to wear them again today. It was getting late, the sun nudging closer to the horizon. Would he ask her to stay for dinner? Maybe after, he might offer her a tour and a leisurely walk around the grounds. His hand on her lower back to guide her…

“Ugh.” These fantasies she had going on in her head were getting her nowhere but into trouble. She did not want to appear easy to Trace. Nor would desperate, trampy, or horny be appropriate, either. She needed to get her mind off sex.

“No. Sex.” She stole another glance at the cowboy as he climbed over a fence.

She closed the trunk and headed to the corral where Trace stood holding a rope at the head of a regal black horse. Two other cowboys led a white and black horse toward Trace’s. The big white and black looked wild-eyed, reared up, stomping down hard, baring its teeth, and snorting.

The tail of Trace’s horse was braided. As the white and black horse danced closer, she looked at what protruded between its hind legs and… “Oh. My. God.” They were going to breed them. Right there in front of her.

Macy bit her lip as a flush of embarrassment warmed her neck. She glanced around, hoping no one saw her watching. It seemed so public. Shouldn’t they do this in a barn? With dim lighting and maybe—she grinned—soft music?

Breathing deep of the earthy scent of grass and animals, she murmured, “You’re not in Chicago anymore.” This was nature’s way, a beautiful thing. Animals did this in the wild all the time. It was only humans who had issues about the splendor of the body and its inherent sexuality. This should not shock and embarrass her. Especially in her line of work.

Trace’s voice rumbled low and calm as he talked to the female horse. Mare? She knew very little about horses, except what she read in books. The male horse—stallion—seemed out of control. The cowboys each kept a tight hold on their rope as they drew nearer.

The stallion mounted the mare, driving his extra-large penis home while biting the back of the mare’s neck. The mare seemed compliant. Submissive. She liked being held tight. Mischievous thoughts flooded Macy’s mind. Ideas of Trace and her tangled together, leather and ropes.

Macy glanced at Trace, and, of course, he was looking at her. Despite her nature-girl self-talk, her cheeks warmed at his stare. But she didn’t look away.

The act was over in seconds. The stallion dismounted and the two horses brushed their noses together for a short time before going their separate ways. No awkwardness, no promises to call each other soon. No hurt feelings.

Damn. Why did that depress her? She’d rarely indulged in one-night stands, but if this cowboy offered, it would be hard to say no.

Trace handed off his horse, walked toward her, and climbed over the fence. Macy enjoyed every move he made.

Even in his dressier clothes, he was all rugged cowboy. He'd rolled his shirtsleeves to reveal heavily muscled forearms with a light cover of dark hair. The way he walked, so self-assured, made her all gooey inside. As he drew closer, her heartbeat picked up, and a zap of desire shot through her.

“Enjoy the show?” he asked, a grin curving his lips.

*********

To celebrate the release of Her Cowboy Stud, I'm giving away, to one lucky *commenter, an e-copy of my first erotic romance, Chase and Seduction. Just leave a comment today and we'll choose a winner tomorrow. *Commenter must be 18 years of age or older to win.

I'm also giving away a custom-made messenger bag and a $50 gift certificate to Pureromance to one subscriber to my newsletter. For more details, and to sign up for this contest, please go to my website, RandiAlexander.com  And while you're there, you can read the first chapter of Her Cowboy Stud.

Good luck, and thank you!

Randi

RandiAlexander.com

WildAndWickedCowboysBlog

Her Cowboy Stud available at The Wild Rose Press Wilder Roses

Kindle version is available at Amazon.com

Free For All Friday - Meet Author Rachel Leigh!

How do you spell HOT? Today we're spelling it RACHEL LEIGH!
Don't you love this cover? And it delivers on the promise. The story inside is great!

You can learn more about Rachel at her website http://rachelleigh.co.uk/index.html
But be sure to come back and get to know Rachel a little better:)

Hi Rachel, thanks for being here today!

Thanks for having me.

What is the most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict, emotion?

Conflict definitely! It is the vital ingredient to a successful story but keeping that momentum going so that you create the page turning quality every writer wants is serious hard work. In order to find the conflict that will sustain a novella length story I tend to start with the characters and complete a worksheet for the hero and heroine. Usually that throws up some internal issues they are dealing and I take it from there!

If you could time travel, would you go forward or back?

Back definitely – I am a Tudor enthusiast as well as being fascinated by anything to do with the Victorian era. They were both fascinating times in English history and I love reading Tudor and Victorian fiction & non-fiction, watching TV dramas and documentaries. I would love to go back and see what things were like.

Do you listen to a playlist when you’re writing? Prefer silence?

Silence all the way. I know lots of writers who listen to rock or classical music while writing but I find it a real distraction. I need absolute quiet to create anything of quality…and even then I doubt every word, LOL!

What was the best advice you were given leading to getting published?

To write! So many aspiring writers don’t actually sit their butt in the chair and write – and write and write. It takes a lot of commitment and a lot of hours to become a published writer. And the more you do it, the more you learn and the better you get. Writing is a craft and needs to be learned and practiced. No excuses.

What is your favorite dessert/food?

Dessert – Strawberry Cheesecake or the jam donuts that our local bakery makes, yum!

Food – Egg fried rice & chicken satay from my friend’s Chinese. I could eat and eat and eat so much of it , it’s ridiculous!

***

Here's a BLURB for EXPLICITLY ENGLISH: 

Laura Markham needs to forget - just for awhile.  Be someone else for change - live as her parents will never have the chance to.  And for Laura, that means leaving the City for the English countryside and doing just what the hell she feels like…wherever she feels like doing it…

          

British stockbroker, Stephen Cambridge knows by going home to his country retreat two days early, he's likely to surprise his contracted interior designer.  And when he finds out she's the woman who performed the solo masterbation show for him on the inward bound journey, Stephen will do anything to further convince her to miss the outward bound train and stay with him forever…  

BUY LINK: http://thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&zenid=600abe5e58b30dc4727c64c9af8cbd63&keyword=explicitly+english&x=0&y=0

That's Hot Thursday!

Let's go to the beach - PLEASURE BEACH, that is, a steamin' hot anthology by P.J. Mellor!

If you haven't read anything by Ms. Mellor, I have to say I loved this book and would definitely recommend it as a starting point -- of course you'll want to buy the rest of her books after you read it;) PLEASURE BEACH has everything: Sexy alpha males, creative sex, warm, sun soaked location, creative sex, humor, and did I mention the creative sex . . .

OK,OK, I got a little off track;)  The other thing I liked about this book is the knack Ms. Mellor has for writing her heroes. What do I mean by that? You'll have to buy the book to find out. But I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Enjoy!

PLEASURE BEACH is a Kensington Aphrodisia 2006 publication.

That's Hot Thursday!

Medieval Hotness!! Come and get it!
I'm talking about THE BARGAIN, by Julia Templeton. It's a 2006 erotic that you need to read.

The story of Renaud and Aleysia has a sweet side that balances the erotic side perfectly. I love the verbal interaction between the characters -- and I mean all characters. This story has a full cast, with a fantastic (cougar) secondary love/plot.

Speaking of plot, this is not just sex. There are Normans and Scottish, fights over land and over Aleysia........So if you love your erotica with a little more meat (pun intended), I think you'd love THE BARGAIN!

Until next time, happy reading!

That's Hot Thursday!

Today I'm talking about the paranormal anthology, HOT BLOODED, Berkley, 2004. It's probably my first try of a real erotic novel. Oh sure, I'd read sensual, even steamy, but not true, nitty-gritty erotica. And yet.........these four stories are more erotic romance than erotic, because yes, there is a HEA between the H/h.

Anyway, my favorite story of the four included, is THE NIGHT OWL, by Emma Holly. After reading this fantastic vampire story, I was -- and still am -- a die hard Holly fan. I stocked my bookshelves with her titles. If you wanted to start with a full-length of hers though, I'd recommend ALL YOU CAN EAT. But there I go being a fan-girl............

The HOT BLOODED anthology also includes stories by Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne and Angela Knight. SEDUCTION'S GIFT, by Ms. Knight, is one of the most unique plots I've ever read. Witches and vampires from King Author's Court take care of us mere mortals in a scorching read! Yow-za!

So if you're looking for an anthology that you will mark as a keeper, try HOT BLOODED :)  You won't be sorry!

That's Hot Thursday!

Today I'm going to brag about BLACKMAILED, a smokin' hot erotic romance written by my friend, AnnMarie McKenna. If you haven't read any of AnnMarie's work, I would suggest this particular novel as a good starting point. Why? Well, let me count the reasons:
1. Two for the price of one. Heroes that is :) Cole and Tyler are perfect examples of alpha males. Ummm, did I mention BLACKMAILED is a menage story???
2. Excellent secondary characters. One you can love and a couple you can hate.
3. Sex that will make you (pleasantly) squirm!
4. A happy ending for all three main characters.
I for one don't like to become invested in a menage romance just to have the "third wheel" be written off in the end just for the sake of a traditional happily ever after. I don't need traditional. I'm reading a menage for goodness sake. I think I stepped outside traditional when I bought the book;) Ms. McKenna delivers a great ending without kicking anyone to the curb in the last chapter.

So if you're looking for a great hot read, try BLACKMAILED today. It's available in both print and e-book, published by Samhain Publishing. http://www.samhainpublishing.com/
Or visit Ms. McKenna : http://www.annmariemckenna.com/

Happy Reading!

That's Hot Thursday!

Are you wondering what That's Hot Thursday is all about?
Well wonder no more. Thursdays are all about hot books. Not necessarily erotic romance, just great sexy, sensual books.

This time it's all about Sabrina Jeffries' book, One Night with a Prince. It's the third and last addition to her Royal Brotherhood series (pub'd in 2006) but it is my favorite book of hers.

The sexual tension in this book is so well written you want to stay up all night reading. And when Gavin and Christabel actually get down to business..........*whew* Especially the scene in his coach. OMG! Oh, and the plot is excellent too;) I would give this book 5 out of 5 hot lips! Pick it up and see what you think!