Moonlight, Lace and Mayhem: 03/01/2011

Thursday, March 31, 2011

TWILIGHT THURSDAY

Last months interviews were so fun, they decided to let me come back in March! Call me Aine this time around…

Before we begin, I must remind everyone of the Moonlight Mistresses boring rule to please try and keep your responses to a PG13 atmosphere – *eye roll*. However, they haven’t seemed to care about double entendres, so let them fly!

My guests today are Trey Brenner and Crystal Winters – please, have a seat on our lovely couch! – from Sandy Valley, Nevada. Their tale can be found in CRYSTAL’S COWBOYS, a novel creation by J. Rose Allister.

*Settling comfortably onto the sofa, *

You two make one fine pair! I did a wonderful job pairing you two up if I do say so myself! Then, I just love all of my matches!

Aine: Please, Trey, tell our readers how you two first met. Was it by your design, or hers?

Trey: It was fate’s design. I shouldn’t have even been out ridin’ in the desert that day—I was supposed to be checkin’ the fence line at the ranch. Instead, me and Raf got to foolin’ around and took off on our horses. Before we knew it, we were out of bounds and ridin’ like the wind…and that’s when I saw her, lyin’ in the dirt under the blazin’ sun. Thought she was a dead animal at first.

Crystal *curling her lip*: A dead animal? Thanks a lot!

Trey: What? It’s not often you ride the Mojave and find an unconscious, gorgeous woman lyin’ in the dust.

Aine: What about you, Crystal? Would you say it was love at first sight, or did you find him repulsive?

Crystal: It was definitely lust at first sight, though to be honest I was out of my mind at the time. I didn’t even think he was real. I thought he was an angel with a Stetson and a cowboy twang. *Turning to Trey with a raised brow* A lot better than thinking you were a dead animal—and I was hallucinating!

Aine: *Ahem,* well, yes, but it’s obvious by the way he devours you with that smoldering blue gaze now that his eyesight has definitely improved! Since chaotic happenstances tends to put characters like yourselves in situations where they must work together or live together for one reason or another, tell us what chaotic happenstance “forced” the two of you to work or live together. How did you both feel about this?

*A newcomer struts over to Aine’s couch with a hot swagger*

Newcomer: Chaotic happenstance? Oh, that little lady there defines chaotic happenstance.

Crystal: Rafael! What are you doing here?

Rafael: Wonderin’ how I got left high on the range durin’ an interview about you and your true love, seein’ as how you and I were married and all.

Trey: Pretend married for one day, and only by your convenient design.

Aine: So, how exactly are you related to these two, then?

*Tipping his hat to the lady*

Rafael: I’m Rafael Monroe, the chaos that happenstanced these two’s plans for a happily-ever-one-on-one.

Trey: There weren’t any plans of the sort. I just got there first—by accident.

Crystal: As you can see, Aine, our lives are definitely chaotic. These two rescued me from a danger I can’t even remember. I just know that it’s real, and there’s no one else I can trust. They’ve hidden me away on the ranch where they live and work, and I’ve been forced to stay there in seclusion and rely on them both.

Trey: Don’t forget the part where we’ll lose our jobs if you get discovered there.

Rafael: And despite that, I had to smuggle you off the ranch when you got too sick for us to care for.*waggling brows* Not that I didn’t enjoy some of your more imaginative fevered delusions. Quite the fierce temptation.

Trey: Raf and I both wanted her so bad that we could taste it. *lowering voice* To top it off, Crystal isn’t the only one of us who has secrets. If all that isn’t chaos, I don’t know what is.

Aine: Sounds like you were all definitely thrust together by some rather fateful happenstance. Trey, would you say that your relationship developed easily or would you say there was some reluctance?

Trey: I wasn’t exactly dragged into it kickin’ and screamin’—

*Cut off by a laugh*

Rafael: Oh, there was some screamin’, partner.

Trey: —but there was definite reluctance. How could I trust this woman? We found her under suspicious circumstances. She didn’t want to go to a hospital, wouldn’t let us call the police, and I wasn’t sure whether her story about not rememberin’ what happened was on the level. I had no idea whether I was rescuin’ a victim or a bad guy. Plus I had other reasons for not startin’ any relationship. The timin’ couldn’t be worse, because I… *Trailing off with a weighted glance at Rafael, he falls silent*

Rafael: Somethin’ you aren’t tellin’ me, isn’t there?

Trey: And I suppose you’ve told me everythin’? Like what’s inside that twisted mind when you think I don’t see you starin’?”

Aine: Movin’, I mean, moving right along…How long did it take you to know your true feelings for the other? At what point did you know, “this is the one”?

Crystal: I knew, I think, before I’d even come back to lucidity after my nap in the desert. I just didn’t know what to do about it. There was so much else going on in my life that a romance was the last thing I needed. Then suddenly, I wanted not one, but two of the most incredible men I’d ever met. Heroes, both of them. How was I supposed to choose?

Rafael: I knew about three seconds after we found her lyin’ in the Mojave. I’d never seen anythin’ more beautiful, and unlike my issues-with-women partner over there, the timin’ couldn’t have been more perfect for me to fall for her.

Aine: Rafael, sounds like it was a fast and easy choice. What would you say was your biggest obstacle to overcome before you could settle into a relationship with Crystal?

Rafael: That’s easy. Trey.

Trey: He thought Crystal and I were cheatin’ behind his back.

Rafael: Which was true, sort of, but that wasn’t it. I knew there was chemistry between Trey and Crystal, but I was damned certain she and I had it, too. But there was some other chemistry in the air that I wasn’t sure what to do with. That needed resolvin’ before I could really devote myself to her completely.

Aine: This is for any of you. Would you like to thank anyone – other than me, of course – for getting you two—well, perhaps I should say you three—together?

Rafael: Yes, definitely us three. I’d like to thank Trey, because if he hadn’t forced me to neglect my ranch hand duties to take our little unscheduled ride, we never would have found Crystal.

Trey: Forced you? Like you haven’t been the instigator in at least a half-dozen of my least advisable adventures. Need I remind you of the Vegas stripper?

Crystal: I can’t honestly say I can thank the situation that ended with me unconscious in the desert, whatever it is, but I’m definitely glad there’s still such a thing as western heroes.

Aine: I know our readers have enjoyed learning about you three so far, but I’m getting a little bored, so I’m going to heat things up. Crystal, how would you end this sentence, "I wish Trey would _____?" *leans forward to eagerly hear your response*

*Rafael jumps up*

Rafael: There’s this unbelievably hot thing she likes, where I have her bend down and—

Crystal: Rafael! May I remind you that this is a PG-13 forum? Besides, Aine was asking me about Trey.

Rafael: Naturally. Always in a hurry to get to Trey. *An amused look passes between them*

Crystal: Sorry, Aine. Hm, I guess my answer would be, I wish Trey would learn what I found out about Rafael, and then act on it.

Aine: Mm, sounds like some of your secrets are starting to come out. Don’t suppose you’d like to elaborate? *Rafael elbows Crystal, who shrugs innocently* Rafael, would you prefer to give Crystal a bubble bath or a back massage? Why?

Rafael: Funny you should ask that question, because it just so happens that I am quite adept at both. Just ask Trey.

Trey: Excuse me? I’ll have y’all know I have never let Rafael give me a bubble bath.

Rafael: But who’s got the magic fingers you said could massage life back into a corpse? Anyway, Aine, I have had the honor of offering Crystal a candlelit bath. Let me say it was the hottest, wettest experience I have ever had. Gonna have to go with that.

Aine: My, isn’t it getting warm in here? Now, how many of you remember that old show, The Newlywed Game? Well, these next questions are going to help us play a similar game. Let’s see how well you know each other. Crystal, what would Trey say is your aphrodisiac? *waggles eyebrows*

Crystal: *smiles suggestively* Definitely his award-winning chili. It was like a spiritual experience.

Aine: Trey, did she correctly guess your answer? How would you have answered that question?

Trey: She nailed it. I’ve won cookoffs with that con carne. When I watched her take a mouthful, it was like I’d sent her to heaven—in an entirely different sort of way, if you catch my meanin’. About the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, watchin’ her eat it.

Rafael: That’s because you missed seein’ her get spanked up in the hotel room at Caesar’s.

Aine: Now there’s an intriguing tale I’m sure wouldn’t fit our PG-13 criteria! *sits back in his chair* Rafael, what would Crystal say is a spot guaranteed to drive you crazy with passion? Is she correct in that assumption?

Rafael: Where Crystal’s concerned, I have this one special, particular spot. It starts right here, *points to the top of his head*, and ends right there. *Holds up a well-worn cowboy boot and grins*

Crystal: You earn big points for flattery, cowboy, but you missed the answer. *Voice falls to a conspiring whisper as she leans toward Aine* Raf’s nipples are hypersensitive—maybe even more so than my own. *giggles*

Aine: As many of us might have guessed from that tight black tank top he’s wearing. *readjusts his position in the chair* It’s time to cool things off just a tad. Crystal, as far as you know, what is Trey’s idea of a perfect date?

Crystal: As far as I know? Trey’s perfect date involves a dark, abandoned bunkhouse, an air mattress, and French fries with mayonnaise.

Rafael: Actually, I’m the one who brought the fries that night.

Aine: Trey, is she correct? If not, what is your idea of a perfect date?

Trey: Sadly, no. I’m afraid we haven’t been able to offer Crystal much in the way of creature comforts since we’ve had her holed up. But with the right opportunity, my ideal date would involve a picnic by a flowin’ stream, a basket of red wine and cheese, and very little clothin’.

Aine: Rafael, your turn in the hot seat. What is Crystal’s idea of a perfect date?

Rafael: She doesn’t strike me as the fussy type, so I’d say we’re talkin’ a moonlit stroll, cricket song for background music, and skinny dippin’.

Aine: Crystal, is he correct? If not, what is your idea of a perfect date?

Crystal: *staring at both men with wide eyes* I don’t know, but I just changed it. Moonlit stroll, wine and cheese, skinny dipping. Oh, yeah.

Aine: I’m right there with you. *Questioning eyes shift Aine’s way* Well, you know, not literally with you, but…anyway. I want to switch gears just a bit. March has close connections to Ireland, and as many of us acknowledge, Ireland is steeped in myths and mysticism, as are many Native American tribal beliefs. Do any of the three of you believe in this type of mysticism? Have you had any experiences that helped you develop these beliefs?

Crystal: Oh, yes. I’m of Irish descent, and I remember Grams always talking about Celtic magic. She used to warn me not to step in a fairy ring, or else they would steal me away and never let me come back. To this day I watch out for mushroom rings and steer around.

Rafael: Not many fairy rings to worry about in the desert, darlin’. I went to an Indian pow-wow in college once, though. Some damned intriguing experiences happened there—and that was before they passed around any funny stuff in a pipe. So yeah, I believe there are things goin’ on that you want to respect.

Trey: Where was I when you were havin’ all these college adventures? I might have liked to have gone to a pow-wow too, you know.

Rafael: *snorting* You? You were too busy bein’ a math genius. You had no mind for the fact you were headed for cowboy life, let alone for native mysticism.

Aine: True believers come from all walks of life. Where do you three see yourselves in 5 years?

Crystal: I honestly don’t know. This whole situation hit me so hard, so fast—and I don’t even understand what the situation is. I might be stuck on the run forever, or I might remember tomorrow that I can go back to my life. Until I know more, it’s difficult for me to see a week in front of me, let alone years.

Rafael: In 5 years, I’d like to be lookin’ at gettin’ a ranch of my own. Nothin’ fancy, mind you. Not like the Laughing L where we work, with beef herd for market. I’d just like a small setup to take care of me and my own. *Turns to the other cowboy* How ‘bout you, Trey?

Trey: Me? Well, I, uh, I’m gonna have to take the fifth on that one. My situation’s a bit complicated right now.

Aine: I’m sorry folks, but that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks to Trey, Crystal, and Rafael for joining us today and giving us some great answers. We hope you’ll check out their story, CRYSTAL’S COWBOYS.

To learn more about their author, J. Rose Allister, visit: http://jroseallister.com

BUY LINK: http://bookstrand.com/crystals-cowboys

Blurb:

Crystal finds herself lying in the blazing Nevada desert with no memory of how she got there--and two cowboys riding to the rescue. Ranch hands Trey and Rafael are hot as hell, and both of them want her desperately. Rather than choose between them, she shares them both in the old abandoned bunkhouse where they keep her as their sexy little secret.

Riding double sends them soaring to sexual heights, and Crystal is especially intrigued at the thought that her two cowboys might want to tame each other as well. But their own secrets and her forgotten danger could cost her both of her western heroes. Will their wild ride end in a hard fall?

Excerpt:
Prying her eyes open took some effort—sleep had apparently tried to glue them shut permanently. When her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was a head tucked against her left side, down near her waist. A man’s head. She blinked and looked again. A sandy-haired man was seated in a chair that had been pulled alongside her bed. He leaned way forward to rest his head on the forearms he had folded on her mattress. Hair fell across part of his face, obscuring his features, but she could see the square angles of a clean-shaven jaw and an eye that was firmly closed. She had no idea who this man was, but he felt familiar and safe.

A swell of tenderness and curiosity rose, and she reached out to push aside the loose sweep of bangs to get a better look. Crystal’s fingertips had barely brushed against his hair when she spotted the anomaly on the back of her hand. She sucked in a breath, then gasped louder when his hand shot out to grab hers.

He shook back his bangs, and she recognized his sapphire eyes. That sexy, breath-stealing gaze had been making cameo appearances in her most recent dreams—bizarre dreams at that. There had been one where two cowboys had ridden to her rescue, just like an old western. Then later, all of them stripped naked and got in a hot tub, very not like an old western.

The man sat up in his seat and offered a lopsided smile that could no doubt become the ruin of many a woman. “Hello,” he said.

“Um, hi.” She reached a hand up to her hair, wondering just how terrifying she must look—and where the hell she was. Although, the tubing and tape stuck to the back of her hand gave her some ideas about both.

“Nice to see you awake.”

“Thanks.” She’d say it was nice to be awake, but she hadn’t quite decided yet.

With some difficulty, she pulled her eyes away from the gorgeous stranger and looked around the room. Everything was done in pale, whitewashed shades and looked somewhat modern and homey—until her eyes found what she’d been looking for. The buzzing sound she’d heard came from a computerized vital signs monitor, and beside that stood in IV pole with a couple bags of clear fluid hanging from it.

“I’m in a hospital?”

The man nodded. “Sorry about that.”

She glanced back at him with a frown. “Why? Did you do something to hurt me?”

His expression clouded from pleasant to concern. “You don’t remember anythin’? The desert?”

“I remember vultures.”

He shook his head. “I don’t recall any vultures.”

She thought harder, then her eyes widened when some of her memories reassembled themselves. “It wasn’t a dream, was it? I remember you—and another man with big brown eyes.”

“That was Rafael. I’m Trey.”

“You found me on the ground and carried me out.” Her eyes narrowed as she searched his face. “Am I crazy, or are you a cowboy who rode up on a white horse?”

His deep laugh brought heat to her cheeks, and not only because she felt silly admitting her fantasy out loud. “You’re not crazy. I rode you out on a roan paint, but I imagine in the bright sun he might have looked white at the time.”

“Oh.”

She hadn’t been dreaming. So why couldn’t she remember much of what had happened after that?

A jab of panic shot through her. If that part hadn’t been a dream, what about the other part?

She couldn’t quite look at him while she asked. “We weren’t in a hot tub together at some point, were we?”

“A hot tub?” The laugh came again. “I’m afraid the accommodations we offered you at the ranch weren’t that high quality.”

BUY LINK: http://bookstrand.com/crystals-cowboys

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wistful Wednesday

Today, I am very happy to welcome a guest to the blog, Raquel Byrnes, who shares some marketing tips with you.

Marketing and the Writer – Where To Start

I used to think that getting a publishing contract was the finish line. The publishing house takes care of the rest, right? This is wrong…so, so wrong. You as the author need to take the reins of your own book publicity. You know your product best after all. Who better to get others excited about it? But where do you start? Not to worry. There are some easy things to get started right away that can really make a difference.

• First you need to educate yourself. Read a marketing book and come up with a plan you intend to implement. This is really great when talking to agents at conferences. It shows you are serious about the business side of publishing.

• Pitch yourself to local radio stations and give them segment ideas. Does your story revolve around a current controversy, event, or breaking news? Collect articles with Google Alert and get educated on the subject. It’ll make your interviews easier.

• Regional magazines often do reviews of local authors, offer them an incentive like a signed copy for a contest.

• If you’re having a book signing, call not only the local papers, but the free community readers. Print up inserts for bulletins and bookmarks for libraries, coffee shops, and other venues willing to promote book signings by a local.

• Online community calendars sell advertisement space, and you can put in your book signing date and a link to your book website.

• Go and physically visit your local book stores. Get to know the owners or managers and let them know that not only is your book coming out, but you’d love to come in and sign some.

• Create press releases and send them to local events, like Renaissance Faires, comic book conventions, etc…anything that includes people that are into your genre.

• Go to conferences and build relationships; this is a key item on any writer’s marketing list.

• Promote your book on Goodreads.com. It offers an amazing opportunity not only for unpublished authors to set up a profile page, but for published authors to set up links to their website, upload signing events, do giveaways, and even book trailers.

Writing the novel isn't the end of the journey, but the good news is that there are a lot of ideas and strategies that we can use to make sure all our hard work ends in sales success.

Raquel Byrnes writes inspirational romance with and edge-of-your-seat pace. Her first book in the Shades of Hope Series, Purple Knot, releases from White Rose Publishing.com later this year. Visit her at www.raquelbyrnes.com or on her blog – Edge of Your Seat Romance at www.nitewriter6.blogspot.com.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

TANTALIZING TUESDAY

Last months interviews were so fun, they decided to let me come back in March! Call me Aine this time around…

Before we begin, I must remind everyone of the Moonlight Mistresses boring rule to please try and keep your responses to a PG13 atmosphere – *eye roll*. However, they haven’t seemed to care about double entendres, so let them fly!

My guests today are, Robert Wacaster and Katie Benson – please, have a seat on our lovely couch! – from Queens, New York. Their tale can be found in A Writer’s Love Story, and A Writer’s Engagement, two novels created by Robert Wacaster.

*Settling comfortably onto the sofa, *

You two make one fine pair! I did a wonderful job pairing you two up if I do say so myself! Then, I just love all of my matches!

Aine: Please, Robert, tell our readers how you two first met. Was it by your design, or hers?

Robert: Well, I had flown into New York to talk to my publisher. My first book was an unbelievable smash hit and they wanted to talk to me about signing a contract for more books. I walked into my editor’s reception area, and there she was. She was so beautiful, but looked so sad. Her watch had broken, and was laying on the floor. I went out right after talking to the editor and bought her a new watch to brighten her day. And things just moved on from there.

Aine: Katie, would you say it was love at first sight or did you find him repulsive?

Katie: Oh, he was so sweet that first time we met! I had just broken up with a guy who I’d been seeing. He was married and had kids, but I hadn’t known that when we were going out. And Robert came into my life just when I needed him most, I think. I’d never had anyone treat me the way he did, so yes, I think it was love at first sight.

Aine: Since chaotic happenstance tends to put characters like yourselves in situations where they must work together or live together for one reason or another, tell us what chaotic happenstance “forced” the two of you to work or live together. How did you both feel about this?

Katie: Well, for us...after we met we had spent the first weekend together, and then he had to leave. They were making a movie out of his book and he had to fly back to California. So we only had that first weekend at first. We really weren’t together. We called each other all the time, but I still really missed him. And then my ex boyfriend started stalking me. But I didn’t want to tell Robert because I didn’t want him to worry about me.
Robert: Yeah, we really had a communication problem at first. She was being stalked and didn’t tell me, and I was having stress problems coupled with finally finding a woman I really cared about, but she was thousands of miles away. So even though we were calling each other, we really weren’t talking.

Aine: I see. So you two had just met, fell in love, and then had to part? Robert, would you say that your relationship developed easily or would you say there was some reluctance?

Robert: I think it developed easily, we just really had to learn to talk to each other. That’s quite a challenge over a phone. She never wanted me to worry about her, and I didn’t want her worrying about me. And to add to things, I had some major writer’s block and couldn’t seem to do anything after the first book. She helped me a lot with that.

Katie: *Smiles at him and puts her hand on his leg* You always had the writing in you, honey. You just needed to find it again. I don’t think I really did that much.

Aine: How long did it take you to know your true feelings for the other? At what point did you know, “this is the one”?

Katie: I think I knew on our first date. He had taken me to dinner in this quaint little diner near where I lived. He was so sweet, he wouldn’t look me in the eyes. He told me beautiful women made him nervous. And he was one of the first men who ever really...talked to me, I think. He opened up a little then, and I knew he was the one.
Robert: Yeah, she did scare me to death at first. *chuckle* When I picked her up I was dressed pretty casually, and she was all dressed up in the fancy dress.

Katie: It wasn’t that fancy!

Robert: Oh, it was. She had thought I was going to take her into Manhattan to some fancy place. But instead we went to this little cafe. I took her there because I thought it would be quiet and we could get to know each other a bit.

Aine: Robert, what would you say was your biggest obstacle to overcome before you could settle into a relationship with Katie?

Robert: It really was the communication. Even today, we sometimes don’t listen to each other, but we’re working on it. We tried to learn from when we were apart and always calling each other. We do always try to tell each other everything now. Of course, that’s harder than you might think.

Aine: This is for either of you. Would you like to thank anyone – other than me, of course – for getting you two together?

Katie: I don’t know. He just kind of...sailed into my life. Even when my little sister Jill tried to run him off, he stayed. He’s quite a guy!

Robert: Yeah, Jill. She really didn’t like me much at first, did she? She threatened to call the police on me when I came to pick you up for our first date. *chuckle*

Katie: That’s because she thought you were my ex! She hadn’t met him, and you were just some guy who showed up on our doorstep with some flowers. She meant well.

Aine: I know our readers have enjoyed learning about you two so far, but I’m getting a little bored, so I’m going to heat things up. Katie, how would you end this sentence, "I wish Robert would _____?" *leans forward to eagerly hear your response*

Katie: I wish he would stop spending all his money! I mean it’s one thing to buy a few nice things, but for crying out loud, he bought my sister a BMW after she had been really nasty to him! He spends, and spends, and spends. He has absolutely no money management skills at all!

Aine: . Robert, would you prefer to give Katie a bubble bath or a back massage? Why?

Robert: Probably the back massage, because as you can see, she’s bubbly enough right now.

*Katie sticks her tongue out at him*

Robert: Seriously though, she does like bubble baths. We were driving from New York to Florida to meet her parents, and we had stopped at this hotel. Her sister Jill was long on the trip too, and both women told me when I got the room to make sure it had a bathtub. So she’d probably enjoy the bath more. Although I could probably give her a back massage in the tub, if it was big enough? *He grins at Katie. She smiles back lovingly*

Aine: How many of you remember that old show, The Newlywed Game? Well, these next questions are going to help us play a similar game. Let’s see how well you two know each other. Robert, what would Katie say is your aphrodisiac? *waggles eyebrows*

Robert: Probably just a kiss. Whenever she kisses me, usually I’ll end up giving her anything she wants. I mean...not...well, yeah, if...uh...I didn’t mean that as... *He begins to blush*

Aine: Katie, did he correctly guess your answer? How would you have answered that question?

Katie: Yes, probably a kiss. I can also easily get him in the mood just by rubbing his back, too.

Robert: Yeah, rubbing my back. I do like that.

Aine: So I guess Robert’s really a physical kind of guy? A few touches here and there and he’s yours? *sits back in his chair* Robert, what would Katie say is a spot guaranteed to drive you crazy with passion? Is she correct in that assumption?

Robert: A desk. *He bursts out laughing*

Katie: That’s not funny! When we were in Florida seeing my parents, we had met one of the neighbors who it turns out councils couples. My sister had taken us to his office for a free session, and while he was out of the office we kind of...

Robert: We got frisky on his oak desk. Then he came back in and caught us.

Katie: *Glares at Robert* That wasn’t funny, Jill was horrified!

Aine: I guess Robert likes things high and hard, and made of oak? *readjusts his position in the chair* It’s time to cool things off just a tad. Katie, as far as you know, what is Robert’s idea of a perfect date?

Katie: He always does the most romantic things for me. But the perfect date for him? Probably watching baseball with my dad.

Aine: Robert, is she correct? If not, what is your idea of a perfect date?

Robert: Yes, Ms. Sarcasm is right, I do like baseball. But my perfect date is anything I get to do with Katie. Ordering out food and then watching a movie at home, I even sometimes like going shopping with her. But don’t let her find that out. *chuckle*

Katie: I know you hate shopping, Robert. You don’t have to pretend for this interview!

Aine: Robert, your turn in the hot seat. What is Katie’s idea of a perfect date?

Robert: Either buying clothes, or dressing me up. Doesn’t matter where we go, she just likes clothes. I’ve never been a suit and tie guy, but that’s how she always wants me to look.

Aine: Katie, is he correct? If not, what is your idea of a perfect date?

Katie: He’s being an idiot. He does this on purpose when he gets bored. I do let him wear t-shirts and jeans whenever he wants to! I just expect him to look presentable when we go out. But as for a date, like he said, anything we get to do together. As long as he behaves, that is!

Aine: In your adventures, journeys or travels, have the two of you had the chance to have the “perfect date,” or the closest you could get to one? Where did you go and what did you do?
Robert: Honestly, we never really did go out that much. After we got together, we just sort of...clicked. We really didn’t have that many dates, per say.

Katie: It was the night he proposed. We weren’t out anywhere. We were still at my parents, and he was watching baseball with my dad. I had gotten a bit jealous because he was more interested in the game than me, and ended up dumping a lot of tabasco on him. I guess it’s kind of like pepper spray? It was an accident, but I felt so bad. I went into the kitchen really depressed, and he changed into a shirt and tie and...*sniffs and wipes a tear* He was so sweet! And he came and proposed to me!

Aine: Tabasco? So I guess you could say it was a really hot proposal? I want to switch gears just a bit. March has close connections to Ireland, and as many of us acknowledge, Ireland is steeped in myths and mysticism, as are many Native American tribal beliefs. Katie, Robert Do you believe in this type of mysticism? Have you had any experiences that helped you develop these beliefs?

Katie: No, not...not really. Robert...?

Robert: I believe we were meant to be together. That things happened to bring us together. Sometimes the world just works out.

Aine: So your relationship was predestined? Just meant to be? Katie, Robert So you believe in fate and destiny or are most things just a happenstance of coincidence? Why do you feel the way you do?

Katie: I guess some things were meant to be? I mean, Robert and I were brought together, and so were Jill and Ben, I guess?

Robert: Jill is her sister, and Ben...well, he’s our marriage councilor. It’s...kind of complicated. They liked each other, but had a hard time getting together, and then...I don’t know. I do think what’s supposed to happen will happen.

Aine: So there is more than just your love story at play here, isn’t there? Interesting. Katie, Robert Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Katie: Well, Robert’s proposed, and we’re planning our wedding right now. I do want to have kids, but we are getting a bit older. 32 isn’t too old for kids, is it?

Robert: No, not too old at all. In five years we’ll probably have a five year old. I can see us starting a family and having kids in five years.

Aine: I’m sorry folks, but that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks to Robert and Katie for joining us today and giving us some great answers. We hope you’ll check out their story, A Writer’s Love Story, and A Writer’s Engagement.

To learn more about their author, Robert Wacaster, visit: http://robertsvegasadventure.blogspot.com/

Blurb:

After finding out the man she was seeing is married, Katie is heartbroken. But the heartbreak doesn't last long when a best selling author named Robert walks into her life. He's charming, caring, and seems to be everything she's ever dreamed of in a man. But does she really know him? And can she handle a long distance relationship with Robert when he has to leave New York for California? Can Katie and Robert truly find happiness together? Or will this be just another "Writer's Love Story?"

Excerpt:

He walked back into the small reception area, and over to Katie’s desk again, “Hi, I don’t think I really introduced myself properly earlier, I’m Robert.” He smiled as he held out his hand.

Katie looked up at him and slowly reached out to shake his hand with a small smile, “I’m Katie, did you forget something? I didn’t know Mr. Goldstein wanted you to come back so soon.”

“No I uh…this is kind of awkward, but I …uh…” Robert began to blush a deep, scarlet color, “It looked like you were having such a bad day, and your watch was broken. I just brought you something to maybe cheer you up and make your day better.” He held out the Tiffany and Co. bag.

Katie looked at the bag and her breath caught in her throat. The small smile dropped from her face as she looked at the bag, “This is from Tiffany’s.”

“Yeah, little place a couple of blocks from here.”

She looked up at him and almost had to remind herself to breathe, “For me? But…I can’t accept that!” The thought that Robert was married and just wanted to use her for sex immediately came into her head.

Robert smiled and set the bag down on her desk. He reached inside and pulled out the small, wrapped package and held it out towards Katie, “Go on, open it.”

She looked at the package he was holding and was almost afraid to touch it. As she looked up into his eyes, he was smiling at her. He’s so handsome, she thought to herself, something’s got to be wrong with him. She slowly took the package and unwrapped it. As she opened the case, she let out a gasp.

“I can’t accept this, this must have cost a fortune!”

“Sure you can, your watch broke. Go on, I want you to have it.”

“I…I…I,” Katie stammered.

Robert reached out and took the case from her. He removed the watch and gently took her left hand and turned it palm up. He then pulled the watch from it’s case and buckled it on her wrist. He took hold of her hand again as he turned it this way and that, admiring the watch.

“It fits perfectly! And it looks wonderful on you!”

Katie looked at the watch on her wrist and felt emotion welling up inside her again. After a few moments, she jumped up from her desk and wrapped her arms around Robert’s neck, tears spilling down her cheeks. She pulled him close crying.

“Oh man, I thought it would make you happy, not sad!”

“I am happy!” Katie sobbed hugging him close.

Robert put his arms around her waist and gave her a quick squeeze, “Wow, you’re an emotional one, aren’t you?”

Katie leaned back with her arms still around his neck and looked into his eyes, “Thank you, this is the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for me.” As she looked into his eyes, a small jolt of excitement passed through her. It was something she’d never felt around Stewart, or any other man for that matter. It was as if she saw something in his eyes.

“I think you’ve been hanging around with the wrong people then.” Robert smiled back.

Katie realized she still had her arms around his neck and quickly pulled them away, “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to…”

“That’s ok, I rather liked it! Uh…I don’t really know my way around town and I’m kind of here by myself on this trip…would you maybe…uh…well, I was going to ask if you’d want to have dinner with me, but you probably have a boyfriend, right?”

“You’re married, aren’t you?” She asked, hesitantly.

“Me, married?” Robert asked, “No, not me. Nobody can stand me. I’m not married, are you?”

Katie sighed and shook her head, “No, but the last guy I went out with was married, and I didn’t find out until today.”

“Oh, no wonder you were so down in the dumps, I’m so sorry.” Robert said looking concerned, “Some guys are shitbags. So how about dinner?”

Katie’s thoughts swept back to Stewart, “I…I don’t know.”

“No strings attached, it might make you feel even better than the watch did! I know I’ll feel better.”

This drew a smile from Katie, “I do appreciate the thought. You don’t have a girlfriend somewhere, do you? This isn’t some…?”

“No, no girlfriend.” Robert smiled, “It’s just me, single me.”

Katie smiled looking at the watch on her wrist, “Ok…maybe. When would you like to go to dinner?”

“Is tonight ok? I hate eating alone in the restaurants here, I always get funny looks.”

“Ok, yes.” Katie smiled up at him. Something about him gave her a warm feeling inside, “Yes, I’d like to have dinner with you.”

“I don’t really know New York. Can you maybe call me when you’re ready to go? I can give you my cell phone number if you’d like.”

“Yes, I think that would be ok.” Katie smiled, “I’ll call you after I get off work. I can take a cab or something to meet you.”

“No way, the publisher said they would provide me with a car service if I wanted to go somewhere, I can drop by and pick you up so you don’t have to take cabs and spend money just to see me!”

Katie looked into his eyes again, part of her looking for any bad signs. Anything that would tell her to stay away from him. Looking into his eyes though, she just felt that same, warm, excited jolt. She held out her hand towards him.

Robert took her hand and shyly shook it. He then wrote down his cell phone number on a post it note on Katie’s desk. Katie wrote down her cell phone number on another post it, and handed it to Robert. He winked at her and walked back out the door with the same happy, carefree walk he had left the office with earlier. Katie sighed and turned to the computer on her desk. Mr. Goldstein had said he was one of their authors, and she wanted to find out everything she could about him before dinner.

Amazon links:

A Writer’s Love Story:http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Love-Story-Robert-Wacaster/dp/1448686423/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1300078720&sr=8-3

A Writer’s Engagement:http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Engagement-Robert-Wacaster/dp/1452866589/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1300079608&sr=1-4

Monday, March 28, 2011

Mystic Monday

Before we begin, I must remind everyone of the Moonlight Mistresses boring rule to please try and keep your responses to a PG13 atmosphere – *eye roll*. However, they haven’t seemed to care about double entendres, so let them fly!

My guests today are, Noah Kavanaugh and Daisy Hammel-Kanavaugh – from Scottsdale, Arizona. Their tale can be found in the Desert Magick series: Superstitions (Bk 1), Dream Catcher (Bk 2), and Day of the Dead (Bk 3) created by Dana Davis.

*Settling comfortably onto the sofa, *

You two make one fine pair! I did a wonderful job pairing you two up if I do say so myself! Then, I just love all of my matches!

Aine: Please, Noah tell our readers how you two first met. Was it by your design, or hers?

Noah: Thanks for inviting us, Aine. Well, considering that I didn’t have any idea she was a witch at the time, I have my suspicions. *chuckles when Daisy gives him a playful smack*

Aine: Daisy, would you say it was love at first sight or did you find him repulsive?

Daisy: Okay, Aine, let me set the record straight that I did not put a spell on him. When I first met him at a conference it was purely business. Really. But I thought he was very handsome. There was definitely chemistry. *smiles* What can I say? I have a thing for smart geeky types.

Aine: Those are the best types, aren't they? Since chaotic happenstance tends to put characters like yourselves in situations where they must work together or live together for one reason or another, tell us what chaotic happenstance “forced” the two of you to work or live together. How did you both feel about this?

Daisy: Well, the chaos didn’t actually start until recently. *shakes head* We’ve been having problems with ghosts and a few other paranormal nasties. Huge problems, in fact. I seem to be the focus so I feel bad that Noah got caught up in all this.

Noah: *places comforting hand on wife’s wrist* She worries about me but I worry about her. I have to admit the attacks get to me sometimes. But I love her. And I’ll stand by her. No matter what comes. And we’ve got her cousin Bridgette helping us out, as well as a few others from time to time.

Daisy: Oh, yeah, Bridge is like a sister to me. We grew up together here in Arizona. She’s been a huge help with all the problems we’ve had lately.

Aine: It's always nice to have family support. Noah, would you say that your relationship developed easily or would you say there was some reluctance?

Noah: We met at a conference and got along right from the start. At first it was business. We’d meet for coffee or lunch and talk about symbols she was trying to translate. I have a background in linguistics. So, I’d have to say we became friends first. *grins* Then lovers.

Aine: How long did it take you to know your true feelings for the other? At what point did you know, “this is the one”?

Daisy: It was gradual for me and I think for Noah, too.

Noah: Yeah, same here. Only I came around a little sooner than she did. I just couldn’t resist her witchy charm.

Daisy: Noah, stop that. *giggles* Like he said, we were friend first. I think that’s important for a lasting relationship. Once we started seriously dating, I think it became obvious to both of us that we just fit together. At least that’s how it was for me.

Noah: Didn’t hurt that her mom liked me right away. *grins*

Aine: Noah, what would you say was your biggest obstacle to overcome before you could settle into a relationship with Daisy?

Noah: Learning her secret that she’s a witch. Paranormals don’t go around sharing that kind of news with just anybody. It’s not safe. She was reluctant to tell me. Probably thought I’d run away once I found out. But I didn’t. *leans forward* Besides, she’s one sexy witch. *grins when Daisy gives him a playful smack*

Aine: This is for either of you. Would you like to thank anyone – other than me, of course – for getting you two together?

Daisy: Well, you’re great, Aine, but I’d also like to thank whichever ancestor left those indecipherable magick books to me. Without those, I never would’ve gone to that conference looking for someone to help me translate the symbols. I never would have met Noah.

Noah: I’d like to thank my dad for his teachings. He was the best linguist in the Phoenix area. In my opinion, anyway. He taught at ASU. Oh, that’s Arizona State, for everyone who doesn’t live here.

Aine: I know our readers have enjoyed learning about you two so far, but I’m getting a little bored, so I’m going to heat things up. Daisy, how would you end this sentence, "I wish Noah would _____?" *leans forward to eagerly hear your response*

Daisy: Let me see him swim in a Speedo. Just once. For a geek, he’s in great shape. *grins*

Noah: *shakes head* I don’t do Speedos.

Aine: Too bad! *clears throat* Noah, would you prefer to give Daisy a bubble bath or a back massage? Why?

Noah: I’d have to go with the bath. She looks great in bubbles. But I wouldn’t balk at giving her a back massage, either. Anything, as long as it’s hands on.

Daisy: Really? Well, we’ll have to do something about that later. *gives him a smoldering look*

Aine: How many of you remember that old show, The Newlywed Game? Well, these next questions are going to help us play a similar game. Let’s see how well you two know each other. Noah, what would Daisy say is your aphrodisiac? *waggles eyebrows*

Noah: Oh, let’s see. I love it when she gets out of the pool all wet and shivering.

Aine: Daisy, did he correctly guess your answer? How would you have answered that question?

Daisy: Is that why you steal my towel sometimes? I would’ve said his aphrodisiac is watching me in the kitchen. He loves my cooking. *grins* I mean, really loves it.

Noah: Oh, yeah, she’s a great cook. In the bedroom, too. *winks*

Aine: Is it getting warm in here, or is it just me?*sits back in her chair* Noah, what would Daisy say is a spot guaranteed to drive you crazy with passion? Is she correct in that assumption?

Noah: *clears throat* I can’t say that here. But she’s really good at it.

Daisy: Noah, you’re terrible.

Aine: Well, I think we can figure out what you’re hinting at… *readjusts her position in the chair* It’s time to cool things off just a tad. Daisy, as far as you know, what is Noah’s idea of a perfect date?

Daisy: Well, from his previous answers, I’ll have to say swimming, followed by some home-cooking.

Aine: Noah, is she correct? If not, what is your idea of a perfect date?

Noah: What she said sounds great, actually.

Aine: Noah, your turn in the hot seat. What is Daisy’s idea of a perfect date?

Noah: That’s easy. A huge estate auction.

Aine: Daisy, is he correct? If not, what is your idea of a perfect date?

Daisy: I love auctions. So that’s good. But he forgot to add dinner out. Maybe at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

Noah: You’re making me hungry.

Aine: In your adventures, journeys or travels, have the two of you had the chance to have the “perfect date,” or the closest you could get to one? Where did you go and what did you do?

Noah: We spent our honeymoon in Hawaii.

Daisy: That was perfect. Except for the guy next door who kept trying to get into our hotel room. He and his wife were celebrating their fiftieth and he kept forgetting which room was theirs.

Noah: I don’t think he forgot. I think the old guy was trying to get a peep at you naked.

Daisy: *laughs* Good thing our balcony had privacy walls.

Aine: Sounds very juicy! Okay, I want to switch gears just a bit. March has close connections to Ireland, and as many of us acknowledge, Ireland is steeped in myths and mysticism, as are many Native American tribal beliefs. Daisy, Noah, do you believe in this type of mysticism? Have you had any experiences that helped you develop these beliefs?

Daisy: Oh, preaching to the choir on this one, Aine. My ancestry goes back to Ireland. And I was born in Arizona, where we have a lot of Native people. You’d be surprised how much is true in some of those stories. Let’s just say that some myths aren’t too far from the truth and leave it at that. For now…

Noah: Even though my ancestors are from Ireland, too, I never thought much about myths until I met Daisy. But with all the run-ins we’ve had lately, I’m now a stout believer in a lot of things.

Aine: Proof that a woman can train a man *winks*. Daisy, Noah, do you believe in fate and destiny or are most things just a happenstance of coincidence? Why do you feel the way you do?

Daisy: My mother believed that coincidence is the Fates’ way of getting things done. I tended to chafe at that belief. *frowns* Until recently.

Noah: I’m still on the fence with this one, so I’ll have to get back to you.

Aine: Daisy, Noah, where do you see yourselves in 5 years?

Daisy: Still alive, I hope.

Noah: *eyes Daisy* What my wife means is we’ve had a rough time lately.

Daisy: Yeah, sorry. In five years, I hope to be living in our same home, together and happy. With our little dog, Perky, still going strong. You know, normal stuff.

Noah: And I wouldn’t mind if we had a kid to keep Perky company. *raises a brow at his wife*

Daisy: Not now, Noah.

Aine: I’m sorry folks, but that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks to Noah and Daisy for joining us today and giving us some great answers. We hope you’ll check out their series, Desert Magick.

To learn more about their author, Dana Davis, visit: www.danadaviswriting.com

In anticipation of spring and Dana’s birthday, all of her eBooks are currently on sale for just $2.99 at www.synergebooks.com. But hurry! This is a limited time offer. Sale ends April 30th!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

SUPERNATURAL SUNDAY

Blurb:

He rode into town to buy supplies, not a woman.

For hunted recluse Rafe McBride, the raven-haired beauty on the auction block is exactly what he doesn't need. A dependent woman will be another clue his vengeful stepbrother can use to find and kill him. But Rafe's conscience won't let him leave another innocent's virginity to the riff-raff bidding. He buys her, promising to return her to St. Louis untouched. He only prays the impending blizzard holds off before her sultry beauty breaks his willpower.

She wanted freedom, not a lover.

Whisked to the auction block by her devious, gambling cousin, and then sold into the arms of a gorgeous stranger, outspoken artist Maggie Monroe isn't about to go meekly. Especially when the rugged mountain man looks like sin and danger rolled into one. But a blizzard and temptation thrust them together, and Maggie yearns to explore her smoldering passion for Rafe.

But when the snow clears, will the danger and secrets that surround Rafe and Maggie tear them apart?

Excerpt:

Oh, Lord. He was going to kiss her. She shouldn’t want this. She was confused enough. Respectable women didn’t kiss men they barely knew, certainly not men who made them have wild, exotic dreams.

It was crazy. He was making her want crazy things. Making her not give a damn about her reputation or her virginity. Or her long-awaited freedom. All she could think about was that dream, and the way his sinful mouth had felt. The table was only a step away, and honey was just as sweet as peach juice…

She swallowed hard and looked up into his hooded eyes.

“Maggie,” he groaned. “Don’t be scared. I’d never hurt you.”

Her mouth parted to object, but firm lips covered hers, hungry, demanding. She gasped, shocked at his hunger, but even more at the illicit response coursing through her. An aching heat unfurled low in her stomach, pulsed between her legs. Oh, yes. It started just like in the dream.

He deepened the kiss, coaxed her lips with his warm tongue. Long, languid strokes teased the inside of her mouth, encouraging, tempting before he pulled back to nibble the corners of her lips.

Oh, God. Is this what all kisses felt like? Hot, lethargic? Melting her like molasses over warm bread?

“Kiss me, Maggie,” he breathed.

Friday, March 25, 2011

PHANTASM FRIDAY

SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS
CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Today I will be interviewing Sunny Davis and Mike Foster the heroine and hero of “Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights”, a new contemporary romance published by Astraea Press.

Q: Sunny, how do you like living in Pine Grove, instead of tony Greenwich, Ct?

Sunny: I prefer Pine Grove. The people are more genuine there, if they don’t like you, they let you know it right away! (Laughs).

Q: I understand you are planning to turn the spare room in the cabin into a nursery?
Sunny: “Who told you that? *looks directly at Mike with angry expression*
Mike: “What’s the big secret, Sunny? *shrugs his shoulders*

Q: So are you two planning to have a baby? Are you already pregnant?
S: “That’s pretty private…a very personal question.” *blushing*
M: “Trying is half the fun *snickers*…more than half the fun! *laughs*.”
S: “Mike!” *punches him in the arm*

Q: Whatever happened to Gavin? I understand he was interested in you, too, Sunny.
M: “I got rid of him, but it wasn’t easy.”
S: *laughs*.
M: “I got him together with another woman, April. She came to visit, recover from an accident, actually. Gavin, hound that he is, was on her case in about three seconds.”
S: “That’s true. Mike brought them together, sort of. But Gavin doesn’t need anyone to do anything for him in the women department…”
M: “What does that mean?” *turns to look at her, scowling*
S: *blushing* “I just mean…well you know, he’s very attractive…women flock to Gavin.”
M: “Yeah, I know, but not you, right?”
S: “Of course not me. I have you *kisses him on the cheek*.”
M: “Gavin has his own story, being written as we speak. It’s called April in the Moonlight.”
S: “Yes, Jean couldn’t leave him by himself…too hunky. So he and April are trying to work things out between them.”
M: “I’ll be glad when he’s settled in with his own lady.”

Q: What about the boys in the band, Electricity?
M: “We’ve tried to fix them up, but they are hard core.”

Q: What do you mean?
S: “He means it hard to find a lady for such crazy guys. They aren’t hunky and sometimes they are disrespectful. Al…Al is a big problem. Al doesn’t talk to women.”

Q: Why is that?
M: “Al is an idiot, that’s why! He doesn’t know how to talk to women and always says something stupid or insulting by accident and ticks her off.”
S: “But he spoke to April.”
M:”Let’s see if he keeps that up.”

Q: What about the other band members?
S: “I don’t know. Doobie seems lonelier than Jack, but there aren’t many women who could put up with those two guys…set in their ways.”
M: “I haven’t given up on them yet. I’m still looking. If they have their own ladies, they can stop drooling over Sunny.”
S: “Mike! *hits him in the arm again* He’s not really as jealous as he seems.”
M: “Yes, I am”
Sunny laughs.

BLURB FOR SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS

Caroline Davis White is a well-known artist married to a philandering multi-millionaire. She has everything any woman could wish for except love. Brad refuses to give her the divorce she so desperately wants. With no money, family, or friends, she flees to the small community in Catskill Mountains where she spent her summers as a child.

Mike Foster, Caroline’s childhood crush grown up, achieved success and made more money than he could ever have dreamed, but it destroyed his marriage and cost him his son. He is wary of women who find his wallet more attractive than his good looks.

Caroline reconnects with the life she had and friends from long ago. Mike steps out of her teenage dreams into her life again, looking more handsome and tempting than ever. She knew who he was then…but who is he now?

BUY LINKS:

ASTRAE PRESS

AMAZON

BARNES AND NOBLE

EXCERPT:

Chapter One
“You’re running away, Miss?” Harry, the butler, asked her.

“Yes, I am. I’ve had enough. Thank you for all your kindness
over the past five years. You helped to make unbearable times
better,” she said, warmly, shaking his hand.

Harry, a non-descript, plump, fifty-year-old man blushed,
putting color in his sallow cheeks.

“Don’t know what’s wrong with Mr. White. When he has you
here, why would he…? Well, it’s not for me to understand, I guess.
But I wouldn’t be doin’ that if I were him.”

She was grateful for his sweetness, but it was time to get
started. She had a long trip ahead. Caroline Davis White dashed
into the sunroom to grab her sketchpad and her fawn pug when the
doorbell rang.

“It’s Stanton Cauley, Mrs. White,” Harry said, returning to
the sunroom.

Caroline went to greet her visitor, a tall, slim, attractive man
with gray hair, dressed in casual pants and a button down shirt.

“Stan, nice to see you, but I was just going out. Is there a
problem with the collection?” she asked, smoothing down her long
blonde hair.

“No, no, Caroline. My people have packed up your paintings
now that the show is over, and I wanted to deliver them to you
personally.”

“That’s nice of you, but unnecessary,” she said, looking at her
watch.

“You’re looking ravishing as ever,” he said, his eyes roving
over her body, focusing too long on her cleavage, unconsciously
licking his lips before raising his eyes to hers.

“I’d love to invite you for coffee, Stan, but as I said, I’m on
my way out…” Caroline said, uneasy under his stare. She backed
away from him, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

“Always working, Caroline, you’re such a gifted artist, but
even a driven one takes time off to…ah…play once in a while,” he
said.

“Yes, well, today is not the day for that, I’m afraid,” she said,
moving toward the front door, hoping he would follow her.

“Come on, Caroline. Let’s stop beating around the bush. You
know why I’m here.”

“Honestly, Stan, I don’t have a clue. But whatever it is will
have to wait.”

“But love can’t wait.”

“What?”

“That’s right.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t pretend, Caroline. You know I want to have an affair
with you. I’ve wanted it for a long time. Brad has his…other life…so
why shouldn’t you have yours?”

Caroline’s face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

“What happens between Brad and me is none of your
business. I’m married, Stan, and even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be
interested in sleeping with you. Never have been, never will be. I
suggest you leave.”

“Come, come, don’t be like that. I can show you a good time,
believe me. We can sail away for the weekend together on my yacht.
I’ll treat you well, just say the word.”

“No way. If Brad knew you were coming here with this…this
proposition, he’d-”

“But he does know. He thought if you had some diversion of
your own, you wouldn’t mind so much if he had his,” Stan said,
stepping closer and reaching for her hand.

Caroline moved back away from him.

“Come. Don’t be childish. You know you want this,” he said,
advancing toward her.

Anger from the past two years of pain and humiliation
pooled in her chest. Stan Cauley’s proposition was the last straw.

“Get out, Stan. Get out. You’re disgusting. Leave. Now! Get
out!” she screamed, her voice escalating in intensity.

She picked up an umbrella from the stand and threatened
him with it. His face turned purple with outrage and when Harry opened
the front door, Stan stormed out. Caroline put down the umbrella and took several deep breaths to calm herself. She blinked back tears.

“That’s the way, Miss,” Harry said, shutting the door quickly.

“Harry, did you get the paintings unloaded before you
escorted him out?”

“Of course,” he said, smiling.

Caroline sank down in a soft chair in the foyer. Trixie came
and sprawled out at her feet. Harry brought her a cup of coffee. The
foyer of the Riordan twenty-room house in Greenwich, Connecticut,
one of the richest towns in the country, was grand. Great art hung
on the walls, the floor was pink marble and the room was painted a
tasteful beige.

The foyer was elegant like all the rooms in this house.
Bradley Riordan White lived in the section of town zoned for fouracre
estates, a cut above the area zoned for a paltry two acres.
Caroline paused. She thought about how great life could have
been in this amazing home with an art studio and a greenhouse.
Life could have been wonderful with the right man. Instead, this
house had become world’s classiest prison with Caroline as the only
inmate.

She had been planning to leave Brad for the past three
months. Her suitcases were packed, but the time never seemed
right. After Stan’s visit, if she had any thoughts about staying, they
were gone. Her relationship with Brad had deteriorated beyond
repair and she had to leave…immediately before she had to face
another degrading situation like the one with Stan. She finished her
coffee and called for Harry.

“Would you please help me load up my car?”

“Right away, Miss,” he said.

Caroline led him into her bedroom to get two suitcases and
several small oil paintings.

“Harry…don’t put the luggage and things in the Bentley,” she
instructed.

“You’re not taking the Bentley?” he asked, raising his
eyebrows in surprise.

“No. Put everything in the Mazda, in the trunk. I don’t want
anything showing in the back seat,” she said, ready to be rid of the
trappings of wealth.

“Yes, Miss,” he said, picking up the two heavy suitcases.

He carried the luggage and artwork out to her car and loaded
it expertly into the trunk, fitting all the luggage, paintings and
sketches together snugly so nothing would get damaged.

“A long trip, Miss?” he asked her.

“Yes, Harry. A long, private trip. You’re not to tell anyone,”
she said.

“What should I say if Mr. White asks me where you’ve gone?”

“Tell him you don’t know. Because you won’t know.”

Harry packed up Trixie’s things and put on the dog’s harness
and fastened her safely in the car while Caroline paused again to
take one last look at the magnificent house, her home for the past
five years, a two-story structure of wood painted white with dark
blue shutters. The long, graceful circular driveway was paved with
gravel and the three acres of rich, green lawn behind the house
seemed to stretch to the next town. The grass was clipped to
perfection, thanks to a team of gardeners. The azaleas in the front of
the house, under the large windows of the living room were
blooming in pink and white. May was the most beautiful time of the
year here.

She thought for a moment about the fabulous parties they
threw there, especially the ones introducing her art shows. Brad
urged her to expand her art subjects, and he became her biggest
promoter. He threw elaborate parties to introduce his rich friends
to Caroline’s art. His money and influence got her work shown in
the toniest galleries in New York City and Connecticut. She became
a celebrity in the art world.

Brad saw her as his creation and took credit for her success.
Caroline, a shy twenty-eight-year-old woman when they married,
was uneasy in the spotlight but she kept painting and doing what
Brad directed in an effort to make him happy. She was born to
please but try as she might, she didn’t seem able to please Brad into
being faithful to her.

She felt sad to leave. This would be the first failed marriage
in the White family for one hundred years. Remaining married was
an important tradition for The Whites. They had all lived,
reproduced and prospered in this house, even the staff had been
there before Caroline arrived. Her day-to-day existence with plenty
of household help had been one of great comfort as well as her own
private dungeon.

Caroline knew where she was going would not be nearly as
lavish, but still she had to leave. After a few years of a decent
marriage, Brad had cheated on her. In the last two years, the
cheating had become so blatant Caroline could barely endure it. Yet
when confronted, Brad told her he had been faithful to her for four
years, counting the year of their engagement, the longest he had
ever been faithful to anyone; she should be flattered and take this in
her stride.

Gradually, the hurt and humiliation from his cheating
eroded her affection for him, which had never been overwhelming
to begin with. Her mother, Linda, wanted her to marry rich so she
would be well taken care of and not have to struggle, like the Davis’
did, so when Brad proposed, she did what her mother wanted and
married him.

Unbeknown to Caroline, Linda had been terminally ill when
Brad proposed. She worried about who would take care of her
daughter after she was gone. It never dawned on her Caroline could
take care of herself. They were married the next year and the year
after that, Linda died, content in the knowledge that her daughter
would be well provided for.

Now at thirty-three, Caroline was ready to shed the skin she
wore for her mother and strike out on her own.

“Will I see you again, Miss?” Harry asked as he closed the
door on the Mazda for her.

“I don’t know,” she said.

“Then I wish you well. Been a pleasure drivin’ you and all,”
he said, bowing, his limp brown hair falling in his eyes.

“Thank you,” she said, starting the engine and putting the car
in gear.
Chapter Two

Caroline was on the highway before long, heading toward
upstate New York, driving to The Birches, a co-op community of
summer cabins located on twenty-five acres of land in Pine Grove.
It was a tiny town about thirty miles south of Willow Falls. Her
mother and father owned a cabin there and Caroline spent her
summers in the community when she was growing up.
Linda Davis and other teachers escaped to The Birches for its
cooler weather in the summer, leaving behind the hot, stifling, and
claustrophobic city.

Caroline inherited the cabin from her mother when Linda died and along with it, just enough money to continue paying the maintenance on the property that was run as a cooperative for several more years. Brad knew nothing about this place and although Caroline had not been there in ten years, she had fond memories of her summers, playing with friends,
swimming in Cedar Lake, drawing and painting.

Mid-May was early in the season; Caroline didn’t expect
anyone else to be there. She wouldn’t mind being alone. When she
pulled into the parking lot, she was right, hers was the only car
there. She got out and unfastened Trixie, who immediately jumped
out of the car and raced around in the thick grass, snorting and
panting.

“Come on, girl,” Caroline called as she walked down to the
old cabin.

The paint on the outside was peeling signaling the cabin
probably was in disrepair. The once carefully tended shrubs were
overgrown and unruly, like her hair in the morning when her
mother had tried to comb it. Her favorite pine tree for climbing had
been trimmed severely so the low-hanging branch she used to start
her climb had been cut off.

Caroline had a moment of panic when she realized she had
not considered the cabin might be uninhabitable. If so, she had no
place to live because she would not go back to Brad, no matter what.

Trixie followed her down the hill to cabin number fifteen,
her lucky number. She stopped to reach under the front step for the
key always left hanging there. It was still there! She stepped up on
the deck, carefully walking around two holes where rotting boards
had broken through.

She opened the screen door, then worked the old key into the lock on the wooden door and twisted. The door swung open and while she hesitated a moment, Trixie pushed ahead, trotting into the cabin, sniffing.

“Okay, I know you’re braver than I am, Trixie,” she said,
following the dog inside.

Stale, damp, musty air greeted Caroline, the same smell that
was always there after the cabin had been closed up for the winter.
She walked in, leaving the inner door open to air the place out and
looked around. The bungalow had not changed at all since she had
last been there. The faded red sofa and the mismatched plaid chairs
were still in the living room. The fine wood coffee table had a thick
layer of dust on it. She walked into the kitchen that also served as a
dining room. The big oak table was still there but there were only
four chairs instead of six. She turned on the sink and found the
water was still working.

Next she tried the lights, which also worked. Her old bedroom was off the kitchen and her parent’s room was off the living room. She went into her room and immediately felt transported back to when she was thirteen.

On the wall were her sketches and watercolors. One caught her eye right away. It was her favorite, a sketch of Mickey Foster, the eighteen-year-old boy she had a crush on when she was thirteen. Mickey was her protector when he was there. But she never saw him again after he went off to college. She touched the pencil sketch tracing his profile,
remembering how handsome and brave he was.

Caroline thought about the last time he “saved” her: when a
stranger trespassing on the community’s property approached her,
Mickey came to her rescue. The man told her he had a puppy that
needed help and would she come to his car to see it. Caroline had
been both afraid and curious, she backed away from him, but he
kept on creeping closer to her. Mickey showed up before the man
could touch her and told him he was her brother. The man left and
Mickey called the police. Who knows what would have happened if
Mickey had not been there. But he was always there bailing her out
of trouble, and she was grateful.

She went into her parents’ bedroom. Her father’s artwork
was all over the walls. He did many sketches of their friends in the
community and wild animals and birds in watercolors and oils plus
local landscapes. He was a talented artist who had never gotten the
recognition he deserved. He became an art teacher and a salesman
trying to support his family in style, but he never made much
money and died in a bus accident on the way to the cabin when she
was ten.

Caroline missed him, his sense of fun, his guidance and
watching him paint. She learned much from her dad about
technique like light and shadow, how to pick a good landscape to
paint and mixing colors. He had been her hero.

She felt guilty she had so much more fame than her father
had, even though she considered him the better artist. But she knew
he would have been proud of her and admired her success.

Trixie barked at the screen door to go out and brought Caroline back to reality. She and the pug went to the car. She lugged each heavy
suitcase down to the cabin. Then it was time to clean.

She put music in the old CD player in the living room,
singing along while she dusted, swept, cleaned the kitchen and
changed the linens. The little cabin brightened up under her labor;
singing the old familiar tunes she used to sing with her mother
brought happiness to the old place once again. She had not sung
much in years and was happy she could still sing on key.

As she was taking out garbage, she spied a man on the
grounds. He was driving a small tractor down near the lake. It was a
relief to find she wasn’t totally alone; there was a maintenance man
about.

Before grocery shopping, it was time to scrub the grime of
the old cabin off her body. She got in the shower and when she
twisted the hot water spigot to adjust it, it came off in her hand.
Scalding hot water shot across the shower, trapping Caroline
against the wall.

She opened the bathroom window, saw the figure
of a man walking toward the Baron’s cabin across the way and
screamed for help. She saw him stop and turn. She called out again,
and he came toward her cabin. A minute later, he entered the
bathroom where she was naked and confined by the hot water.

“Towel!” she hollered, covering herself as best she could with
her hands and arms. After studying her body briefly, he looked
away then threw her a towel, went over to the water controls and
turned off the hot and cold water. Caroline covered herself with the
skimpy towel and stared at the man.

He was in his thirties, handsome with dark brown hair, light brown eyes, a slightly square jaw, one day’s growth of beard and over six feet tall with a slim, strong build.

“You need a new spigot. There might be one in the shed good
enough to hold for today, but tomorrow you should stop by the
hardware store and pick up a new one,” he told her.

There was something about his voice, something she
recognized. Caroline stared at his face, peering into his eyes…those
eyes seemed familiar. She gasped.

“Mickey, is that you?”

Thursday, March 24, 2011

TWILIGHT THURSDAY

Blurb:

Someone once said you never truly know a person,

Chad Dearborn was raised with a silver spoon in his mouth. He was given everything a person could want and more, country clubs were his daycares and Paris and London his playgrounds. Heir to Dearborn Inc., Chad stands to inherit a veritable fortune. But the problem is his parents want to gift him the perfect wife to go with it. A woman in the form of a molded, plastic, jet set dolly. Certainly not Chad’s idea of an ideal mate. He wants a woman that can hold her own, in and out of the bedroom. Who knew he’d find her in one of Portland’s hottest leather clubs? Chad was fascinated by what went on there, but something just wouldn’t let him cross that line.

until you sleep with them.

Country clubs? Europe? The closest Tori Myers ever came to those things were the covers of magazines. With an absent father, a less than attentive mother and nowhere to go, Tori finds herself drawn to an alternative lifestyle at the tender age of eighteen. Vertigo is a treasure chest of Dom’s willing to give her anything she wants. But when Chad Dearborn walks through the door, Tori figures out sometimes what your heart wants isn’t necessarily what your body is willing to compromise to have.

Or do you?

The thing that just wouldn’t let Chad cross the line with his sexuality has come home to roost. And as a result, he's faced with a huge decision. Accept who he is and what he wants. Or continue to fight the biggest identity crisis of his life.

Excerpt:

An electric hum sizzled across Tori Dearborn’s sun kissed skin, setting the tiny hairs on her arms and on the back of her neck on edge as she stared at the outfit hanging on the back of the closet door in her bedroom. It was quite a number. A set of red leather chaps accompanied a red leather corset and matching g-string. Tori walked over and buried her face in the material, inhaling deeply, as a slow, delicious warmth enveloped her, sending a dull ache straight to the core of her womb. Leather. New leather. God how that smell turned her on.

Tori reluctantly pulled her face away from the chaps long enough to notice the accessories set upon her satin covered pillow alongside an envelope. She walked over and picked up the red leather handcuffs. Her fingers glided over the smooth edges of the restraints and she wished her husband was home right this minute to try the new toy out on her. But Chad was away on business. It was the first time in their five year marriage he'd miss their anniversary, but clearly by the gifts he’d left behind, he was anticipating quite a homecoming to make up for it.

Never in her wildest imagination would Tori have thought to marry someone like Chad Dearborn. Not only was he a successful VP at a top notch land development firm, he’d had the good fortune of growing up in the lap of luxury. He received the best private education money could buy and all the amenities that came with the wealth his family had amassed. Private country club memberships, music instruction from some of the world’s elite musicians, summers in the Caymans and winters in the European Alps. Even though there was nothing beyond his reach, Chad was the most conservative, restrained man Tori had ever known. And when he discovered her lifestyle choices, Chad was less than thrilled, but he professed a love so deep for Tori he agreed to find a way to make their relationship work. Creative compromise he'd called it.

For three hundred sixty two days a year, Tori would be the model conservative wife. She would dress appropriately for the club, mingle in all the right circles and attend all the necessary functions. But that wasn’t to say that the lifestyle she loved was completely absent those three hundred sixty two days. In the privacy of their own home, Tori sat at Chad’s feet and he fed her. He put her on a pedestal and she wanted for nothing. And in the bedroom he would occasionally pull out a silk scarf and blindfold her. But the full on, leather and bondage games that Tori thrived on were restricted to just three special days a year. On those days--Christmas Eve, Tori’s birthday, and her and Chad’s anniversary, Tori was allowed to be the leather loving submissive Chad found in a less than conservative club one night while he was out rebelling against his parents desires for him to marry a stick figure Barbie from the Hamptons.

It wasn’t love at first sight by any means. In fact, Tori resisted Chad with sass and even tried to turn him off.

“Hey, Tori,” J.C., Tori’s best friend, said. “Baby Trump over there’s giving you the eye.”

“You mean Richie Rich?” Tori laughed. She’d noticed him when he first walked into Vertigo. “I don’t think he realizes he’s not in Kansas anymore.”

The man J.C. referred to sat at the end of the long stainless steel bar in his faded low slung Lucky jeans and indigo ED Hardy tee shirt. He stuck out like a sore thumb as everyone around him was wearing black or red and most of the attire was leather or latex. Tori could plainly tell he didn’t belong in a club like Vertigo, but he didn’t seem daunted by the fact that he was an anomaly. In fact, he made himself at home on the black leather bar stool with the big silver rivets all around the edges. Completely oblivious to anyone else, he nursed a tumbler of whiskey and stared at Tori.

“Maybe you should take him on the tornado tour.” J.C. laughed cynically as she twirled her flogger around her wrist.

“I don’t think he’s my type, J.C. Maybe you should be the one to break him in…not so gently. He looks like a sub to me. He’s more your type.”

J.C. jumped from her stool and left Tori’s side. She walked the length of the bar and stopped beside the man that didn’t belong. After a few words, J.C. came back and took up residence on the stool next to Tori.

“Well, Madame? Any luck?” Tori asked as she took another sip of her Royal Flush.

“Nope. He says to tell you someday he’s gonna marry you,” J.C. told her, laughing again.

“Whatever. He’s just another rich boy out to sow his wild oats before settling down with whichever playmate of the year mommy and daddy have picked for him.” Tori hopped off her stool. “However, he’s the worst dressed guy I’ve ever seen in here. Most of the players at least try to fit in for their one night of glory.”

Tori’s eyes met the man’s and she maintained that contact as she walked across the dance floor to a Master named Rio and sank to her knees in front of him. Rio wasn’t a Master by accident. He could take a submissive where he or she wanted to go so well, they often times never realized the trip was so painful. Never breaking eye contact with the man on the stool, Tori allowed Rio to claim her for the night. Rio ran his big hand down the thin silver chain that hung on his belt, took the clasp at the end and attached it to the open lock Tori wore on the collar around her neck. She shot the man a taunting smile, winked, and pulled her bright blue eyes from his rich chocolate ones as Rio led her away to a private room.

It wasn’t until the third week in a row of the straight-laced, vanilla looking preppie coming into Vertigo that Tori finally approached him. For nearly a month he'd made his presence known, ordered a whiskey, sat on the end bar stool and watched as Tori surrendered to another man and left the bar area to go to a private room to enjoy her Dom’s company. Every time the man came into Vertigo, someone would approach him but he refused every single advance. Each time he sent Tori the same message—someday he was gonna marry her. Right. She didn’t know what he was smoking or what he might be having with his whiskey, but Cinderella didn’t wear leather.

“Just what the hell is your game, anyway?” Tori asked the man when she finally submitted to his patience.

“No game. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen and someday I plan to make you my wife,” the man answered, smiling.

It was the first time he’d smiled since he’d been coming to the club. Normally he just shared in their staring contest without flinching. But now Tori realized his smile was nice and it warmed her heart.

“You don’t even know me.” Tori licked her bottom lip and drew it under her teeth while staring at his perfect mouth. A mouth she longed to taste.

“What’s your name?”

“Tori.”

“Tori what?” he pried further.

“Tori Myers.”

“I’m Chad. Chad Dearborn,” he said and stuck out his hand. “Now we know each other.”

“Do you have any idea where you are, Chad Dearborn?” Tori asked as she shook his hand, noting that his grip was quite strong and his skin was smooth. She glanced down and saw his nails were neatly manicured as well. “Are you gay?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“Your nails,” Tori started and looked up to see the confusion in his eyes. He really was lost. “Never mind. You don’t really know what goes on in here, do you?”

“I have a good idea. I can’t say I know what to do, but I’m pretty sure I know what goes on.”

“Wanna watch?” Tori asked, giving him a wicked grin. “Maybe after you see what I like, you’ll change your mind and go back to Kansas.”

“Kansas?”

“Never mind.” Tori took his hand and laughed. “Come on. Rio never minds sharing. I’ve never been shared, but there’s a first time for everything. Right?”

Purchase Link:
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-identitycrisis-521393-146.html

Pages

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Friday, March 25, 2011

Thursday, March 24, 2011