Tantalizing Tuesday

There's a contest announcement at the end of this interview, so be sure to stick 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, Sheriff Reed Bennett and Marly Hanson from Dreyerville, Michigan. Their tale can be found in A SONG FOR MY MOTHER, a novel creation by Kat Martin.

Flora: Thank you Reed and Marly for joining us today! Please, Reed, tell our readers how you two first met. Was it by your design, or hers?

Reed: I live a house next door to Marly’s mother. We met when Marly came home to visit after she had run away from home twelve years earlier.

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

Marly: Reed is a good looking man, smart and caring. I was attracted to him the first time I saw him but I didn’t want to get involved in a relationship with a man who lived in a town I hated.

Flora: 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?

Marly: Since Reed lived next door, my daughter Katie and Reed’s son Ham became good friends. I had to be nice to him--though I didn’t really want to.

Reed: I was taken with Marly from the moment I saw her. I didn’t like that she and her mother barely spoke. I wanted to see them rebuild the bonds that I believed the two really felt for each other.

Flora: Reed, would you say that your relationship developed easily or would you say there was some reluctance? What kind of obstacles were there?

Reed: Plenty of resistance from Marly! She was pretty much a man-hater. And her little girl was just recovering from brain cancer, so she really had her hands full. I had to be VERY persistent.

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

Marly: I distrusted Reed from the moment I met him. Then someone told me he was seeing another woman and was only trying to use me. When that turned out to be a falsehood, I began to trust him and then I was falling in love.

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

Marly: My mom got us together. She wanted me and Katie to move back to Dreyerville and she believed Reed was the perfect man for me.

Reed: Ham and Katie did a lot to bring us together. They are two really great kids.

Flora: As we are celebrating fertility and offspring this month, tell us, Reed and Marly, do you plan on having children in the future? Why or why not? How many do you think you’ll want? Do you prefer sons or daughters, or does it not matter?

Reed: I definitely want kids. My first wife died and I love Ham so much. I’d be happy to have a house full.

Marly: I never thought I wanted more children till I saw Ham and Katie together and realized that having more children meant a lot to me. Reed wants them, too, so we are definitely having more.

Flora: Do either of you garden? Why or why not?

Marly: Now that I am back in the country instead of the city, I hope to do a lot of gardening.

Reed: think I’ll just sit back and enjoy Marly and how pretty she looks out there with the flowers.

Flora: Typical of most men. *laughs* What are your favorite flowers or plants? What significance do they hold for you?

Marly: I love roses. They are just so romantic.

Reed: I like snap dragons, a real man’s flower.

Flora: I find red rocket snap dragons to be the heartiest variety with the deepest hue of red! Thanks so much to Reed and Marly for joining us today! Now, I’d like to take some time to speak with their author, Kat Martin. Thanks for joining us today, Kat.

Kat: Very nice to be here.

Flora: First, I’d like to start with some of the questions I asked Reed and Marly. Do you garden? Why or why not?

Kat: I’m afraid, being a workaholic, I have zero time to garden. I do however love flowers and almost always have fresh flowers in my house.

Flora: Do you prefer vegetables and fruits, flowers, or both? Which ones are your favorites?

Kat: Like Marly, I love roses – pink and yellow are my favorites. I love strawberries and peaches.

Flora: If you had the chance to do so, would you participate in a community garden? Why or why not? (If you have done this before, please share your experience!)

Kat: My husband does the gardening in our family. We usually have so many veggies in the summer we can’t eat them all!

Flora: Quite a difference from Reed! *chuckles* Flowers, trees and plants offer a variety of aromas. What would you say is your favorite aroma and why?

Kat: Strawberries and peaches smell great. Lilacs and jasmine are marvelous.

Flora: A growing trend these days is to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, beans and peppers upside down while growing other smaller plants like lettuce, radishes, cress or herbs on top. Is this something you’ll try or have done? Why or why not?

Kat: I bought my husband three of those upside down tomato plant growers. He could never get tomatoes to grow and that year we had big fat juicy ones.

Flora: Considering your favorite flower, plant, and/or aroma, have these tastes shown up in your writing? If so, how – If not, why not?

Kat: Roses show up a lot. I wrote two books - The Silent Rose, and Scent of Roses - that had them in the titles!

Flora: I’m sorry folks, but that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks to Reed and Marly, and their author, Kat Martin for joining us today and giving us some great answers. We hope you’ll check out their story, A SONG FOR MY MOTHER.

BLURB: Years after running away with her boyfriend in her junior year of high school, Marly Hanson returns to Dreyerville at the request of her daughter, Katie, who has recently been treated for brain cancer. Katie has never met her grandmother, Marly's mother, Winnie. But Marly and Winnie have been estranged for years and confronting the past for each of them is painful. The homecoming is bittersweet, but revisiting the conflict between them is crucial if Marly and her mother are ever to find the bond they shared before Marly left Dreyerville.

To complicate matters, living next door to Winnie is handsome sheriff and widower Reed Bennett, and his son, Ham, who is close to Katie's age. Ham and Katie become fast friends, while their parents find their attraction to one another going deeper than mere friendship. But Marly's time in Dreyerville is limited and risking her heart isn't something she's willing to do.

As the days slip past, and though she tries to avoid it, Marly and Reed become more deeply involved. Can she risk loving the handsome sheriff and give up the the futer she worked so hard to forge for herself and her daughter? Can she make a life in Dreyerville after what happened all those years ago?Will Marly finally realize that her true destiny and ultimate happiness lie in coming to terms with her past?

To learn more about their author, Kat Martin,
visit: www.Katmartin.com
To enter into a contest to win a beautiful silver lock,
check out Kat's Contest Page!

Twilight Thursday

Join Borneo Tom McLaughlin, author of the travel journal Borneo Tom: Stories and Sketches of Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia as he virtually tours the blogosphere from MArch 2011 to February 2012 on his first tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Borneo Tom

Science teacher Tom McLaughlin battled a rare neurological disease to a stand still, packed up his life and moved to Malaysian Borneo from a Washington D.C. suburb.

Landing in Kuching, he quickly learned the Malay language and involved himself in projects which includes orangutan rehabilitation and research about the famed naturalist, Alfred Wallace, whose thunder was stolen by Charles Darwin.

The advent of cheap air travel to many destinations in Southeast Asia transported him to many adventures. From dancing naked in an earthquake in Sumatra, to getting lost in a warren of World War II Japanese caves to walking the rim of a volcano with poisonous gas, he has jumped with foolhardiness into everything wild and wonderful, all related in his book Borneo Tom.

Reuniting with his Peace Corps family of thirty five years ago, sharing adventures with one daughter, then reconciling with another after a divorce, marriage with full kampung ceremony and then taking both daughters on his honeymoon to Bali are a few of the highlights of his remarkable personal life. Oh, but we can’t forget? His vasectomy coupled with a wife diagnosed as barren has reproduced a son, Dzul Patrick, now a few months old.

Tom teaches at the Lodge International School in Kuching, Malaysian Borneo while writing about his adventures as a US expat living in Borneo.

You can find him at:

BorneoTom.com
On Twitter
On Facebook
On Kindle!

About Borneo Tom: In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia

Join award winning science teacher Tom McLaughlin as he moves from America to Malaysian Borneo as he tracks orangutans, dances naked in an earthquake, swims with jellyfish AND MORE DANGEROUSLY…falls in love.

Walk with him through a cacophony of emotions including great joy when he finds the love of his life and marries in a village ceremony, reunites with one daughter after a divorce, travels with another and flies the entire family on his honeymoon in Bali. Oh, yes, did I forget? His vasectomy and his wife’s diagnosis of barrenness produces a son, Dzul Patrick, now a few months old.

Each stand alone chapter is humorously sketched by Water Front Niki, a familiar face to all who visit Kuching. Niki’s sensitive portraits of the national bird, the Hornbill, decorates living rooms world wide.

**Proceeds from the book go for items that support the Matang Wildlife Center that rehabs orangutans and other amazing wildlife.**

Read an Exerpt!

Bukit Tinggi, Sumatra Indonesia – Women rule here. The culture, matriarchal, requires the land pass to the daughters. The custom predates the arrival of Islam and no number of Saudi Arabian missionaries, whose job it is to ensure pure Islamic tradition being observed, are ever going to change it to the Qu’ran required patriarchal system. They have tried. And believe me when I tell you, these ladies would have no part if it! Local customs and religious belief coexist side by side as they have for hundreds of years.

I wandered into one particular village and stopped at a house and chatted with the owner. She was lovely lady in her 40s with two teenagers, a son and daughter. She informed http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/wp-admin/post-new.phpher husband had divorced her and left. I teasingly asked her if I could marry her and move in but I think she thought I was serious. She looked me over, considered the idea and said yes but everyday I would have to work in the nearby rice fields. There would be no freeloader man in her house, I surmised.

What Reviewers Are Saying

I was drawn by the uniqueness of this book once I received it. There are cartoon sketches for each and every story in this book. The black-and-white sketches are wonderfully, and sometimes comically, done. They correlated well with each story they represented.

There are sixty separate stories, or essays, in this book which are arranged in chronological order. Tom’s essays are informative, cheeky, humorous and, sometimes, eye-opening.

–Literary R&R

Wistful Wednesday

Hello, today I would like to welcome my special guest into the Moonlight, MuseItUp Publishing author, Nikolai Due-Gundersen, who's sharing with us an excerpt from his new novel, Heart's Lone Desire.

Chapter One

They had prepared the room as instructed. Tall candles littered the chamber, their light inviting shadows, and at the centre, the tub stood waiting, its deep brass polished until gold shone from its depth. Wisps of steam snaked from the water within. Hot, thick twists joining scattered shadows, playing among the bitter light.

Monsieur Lilac sipped his wine with deliberate slowness. His tired eyes went to the windows, longing for escape. Outside, the first fall of snow had begun. As Paris slept, dots dropped down from the heavens, the flakes of stars gracing the earth of mortals. He finished the wine in one slow gulp, savouring the burn of its taste. His hand trembled. Today, he truly felt the pain of his years. It was the weakness in him; the weakness in all men. Mortality pulsed through his veins like a plague. It wrinkled his skin. Tightened his chest. Tonight, he would escape it all.

He disrobed, his servants taking firm hold of his frame. Water bubbled as his body met its warmth.

“The curtains,” he gestured with a weak hand.

Winter disappeared from view.

He breathed, and leaned further into the tub’s warmth. There was no further need for him to speak. His loyal servants knew what was to be done. Cold hands were upon his chest, nails marking his flesh with thick dots…something sharper. The chill of metal—of medical instruments. The skin underneath curled against the cold whispers of steel.

He closed his eyes, wheezed his last sigh. One by one, the candles were extinguished. He prayed for the comfort of nothingness.

The hands were upon his own, holding him down. Thick cloth closed the charm of his mouth. The aristocratic mouth that had argued, threatened, loved. The pain in his chest was sharp, as expected, his flesh folding to metal wielded by loyal hands. Old blood spilled from fresh wounds. His weakness ripped open.

He forced his eyes to remain closed. The sound of tearing flesh, breaking bones.

And underneath it all, the weakest form. His poor heart, still thumping, not knowing when to stop, not knowing when life had become a patient death. Hands dug into the redness of his chest, and with twists and tugs, the heart of old was finally disconnected.

A gasp escaped from his still suppressed lips. It was enough to make him open his eyes. He watched it fall to the floor, and waited for the gift of light.

AUTHOR'S OTHER WORKS:

‘Angel’, published by Necrology Shorts (Under the pseudonym N.D. Gundersen: http://www.necrologyshorts.com/2010/01/30/angel/)

The Heart’s Lone Desire; to be released May 2011 by Muse it Up Publishing

‘Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow’, published by Death Head Grin magazine (http://deathheadgrin.com/id251.html) and Dead Man’s Tome/Demonic Tome (http://demonictome.com/Aug2010.pdf)

Tantalizing Tuesday

Carly Phillips, Leslie Kelly and Julie Leto have all joined us in the moonlight, and while I've tried to wrangle an interview with the elusive Janelle Denison, she's finally here! We hope you enjoy Flora's interview! - Carrie, a closet Plot Monkey Junky!!!

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, Nathan Fox and Nicole Hutton from The Onyx Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. Their tale can be found in INTO THE NIGHT a novel creation by Janelle Denison.

Flora: Thank you Nathan and Nicole for joining us today! Please, Nathan, tell our readers how you two first met. Was it by your design, or hers?

Nathan: My first meeting with Nicole was quite amusing. We were both at a charity speed-dating event, and neither one of us wanted to be there in terms of finding a significant other. I was there as a favor, and she was there to write a fluff piece on dating trends in the 21st century. But just because we were both roped into attending the event, that’s not to say we weren’t attracted to one another. The moment I saw Nicole across the room, I fell in lust. Then I met her, talked to her, and realized she was more than just a beautiful face and curvy, centerfold body. She was funny, exciting, and intelligent, and I fell hard from the get-go.

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

Nicole: Nathan is quite possibly the hottest, sexiest man I’ve ever met. Dark hair. Deep, sensual voice. A gorgeous body that’s to-die-for. But love at first sight? No. I’m not the kind of woman who gives her heart to a man easily. But Nathan is a very persuasive guy and he made it incredibly hard for me to resist him!

Flora: 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?

Nicole: I’m a journalist, and when I discovered, quite accidentally, the details of the case that Nathan was working on, I knew it was something I had to be a part of, because exposing a ruthless, twisted criminal who abuses young teens was very personal for me. So, we decided to work together --

Nathan: *Interrupts Nicole with a deliberate clearing of his throat*. The very last thing I wanted was Nicole involved in any way with this particular case, but the woman didn’t give me much of a choice in the matter. She was determined to nose her way into the investigation, and the only way I could keep an eye on her and protect her was to make sure I was with her 24/7, which forced us into close quarters. But I have to say, in the end, Nicole was the reason why we were able to take down the scumbag we were after, as well as saving a young girl’s life. I might have fought her involvement in the beginning, but I couldn’t have done this without her.

Flora: Nathan, would you say that your relationship developed easily or would you say there was some reluctance? What kind of obstacles were there?

Nathan: Oh, there was plenty of reluctance, especially on Nicole’s part. When I first met her, it was true I wasn’t looking for anything long term, and neither was she. We had a nice little “friends with benefits” agreement, which kept things light and sexy between us. But the situation and the case we were dealing with eventually brought out a lot of emotional stuff for the both of us. I saw a vulnerable side to Nicole that slayed my heart and brought out all my protective instincts . . . even though she made it clear she could do things on her own. This woman is fiercely independent, and beyond stubborn, and the pain of her past kept all sorts of walls between us. But I’m a patient man and know when something, and someone, is worth fighting for.

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

Nathan: About halfway through the case we were working on I knew that I wanted to pursue a real relationship with Nicole. She, however, wanted just to keep me around for all the great sex. *Winks at Nicole*

Nicole: *Rolls her eyes at Nathan* He’s so full of himself, isn’t he? Okay, yeah, he came around a lot quicker than I did, but I was worth waiting around for, right? And while you were waiting for me to catch up with you on the whole “love” thing, the sex was pretty amazing, don’t you think?

Nathan: Absolutely. Still is. *Wicked Grin*

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

Nicole: I have to say, we pretty much brought ourselves together, LOL.

Nathan: I have to say a big thank you to Janelle Denison, our creator, for matching me up with such a perfect, amazing woman. But man, did Janelle make me work hard to finally GET Nicole. She could have made it easier on me!

Janelle: There would have been no fun in that, Nathan. *Grins*

Flora: As we are celebrating fertility and offspring this month, tell us, Nathan and Nicole do you plan on having children in the future? Why or why not? How many do you think you’ll want? Do you prefer sons or daughters, or does it not matter?

Nathan: Yeah, I definitely want children. Two would be perfect. Sons or daughters, it doesn’t matter to me. When Nicole’s ready, we’ll get serious about it, but for now, we’re practicing as often as we can.

Nicole: The man is insatiable! *Laughs* Right now, I’m still focused on my career, but being married to Nathan has made me want things I never thought I’d ever have. Like children. I can’t wait to have a family with Nathan. Being a mom will be the most important role of my life.

Flora: Do either of you garden? Why or why not?

Nicole: I enjoy gardening. I love to plant flowers in the Spring and I recently started a small herb garden.

Nathan: No. Not my thing. I mow the lawn and keep the yard maintained, but that’s about it.

Flora: [interviewer - insert appropriate sarcastic or appraising response]. What are your favorite flowers or plants? What significance do they hold for you?

Nathan: I’m not a plant or flowers kind of guy.

Nicole: I love tulips. Pink ones, especially. My mom used to plant them in the Spring, and they remind me of her. My fresh herb garden consists of parsley, thyme, dill, sage, cilantro and basil. But the funny thing is, I love the taste of fresh herbs in a meal, but I hate to cook. I pick them for Nathan to use. He’s a great cook.

Flora: Thanks so much to Nathan and Nicole for joining us today! Now, I’d like to take some time to speak with their author, Janelle. Thanks for joining us today, Janelle!

Janelle: Hi, Flora and readers! Thank you for the invite!

Flora: First, I’d like to start with some of the questions I asked Nathan and Nicole. Do you garden? Why or why not?

Janelle: I have to confess that I have a black thumb. I don’t garden, or plant flowers, or even attempt to tend to any kind of foliage because I inevitably kill whatever I try to grow. I’ve tried many times, and have failed, so I tend to lean toward using silk plants if I have to. LOL.

Flora: That's a shame! Do you prefer vegetables and fruits, flowers, or both? Which ones are your favorites?

Janelle: Well, I do love flowers. An occasional rose or bouquet from my hubby is always nice. Last year for Mother’s Day he bought me a beautiful (LIVE) orchid plant. I told him the only way I’d keep it is if HE took care of it. He agreed, and I’m happy to report that the plant is still thriving. *grin*

Flora: Wonderful! If you had the chance to do so, would you participate in a community garden? Why or why not? (If you have done this before, please share your experience!)

Janelle: Maybe. If I wasn’t solely responsible for the plants, flowers, or vegetation! But I could be the person who weeds the garden, LOL.

Flora: Weeding is a very important part of caring for plants and flowers! Flowers, trees and plants offer a variety of aromas. What would you say is your favorite aroma and why?

Janelle: Night Blooming Jasmine. Love the little flowers AND the scent!

Flora: A growing trend these days is to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, beans and peppers upside down while growing other smaller plants like lettuce, radishes, cress or herbs on top. Is this something you’ll try or have done? Why or why not?

Janelle: I’ve never tried. Refer back to my black thumb above!

Flora: Considering your favorite flower, plant, and/or aroma, have these tastes shown up in your writing? If so, how – If not, why not?

Janelle: I’ve used different flowers, plants, and their accompanying scents in my stories. In fact, in my Harlequin Blaze novella that was out this past February 2011 (NOT ANOTHER BLIND DATE), my heroine owned a floral and plant shop. I used plants and flowers throughout that story. I might not be able to GROW plants and flowers, but I have a huge appreciation for them!

Flora: Appreciation's always good! I’m sorry folks, but that’s all the time we have for today. Thanks to Nathan, Nicole and their author, Janelle, for joining us today and giving us some great answers. We hope you’ll check out their story, Into the Night.

Janelle: Thanks, Flora, for having us! I always appreciate the chance to connect with readers.

To learn more about their author, Janelle, you can visit her at these places:
her website: www.janelledenison.com
on facebook: www.facebook.com/janelledenisonfanpage
in the jungle: www.plotmonkeys.com

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

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.

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

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!