Winner announced!

With no further ado, the winner of my holiday contest is Melissa.

Congratulations Melissa!

Thanks to everyone who participated!

December in Maine

Maine is already getting pounded by Old Man Winter! I think I've discovered new muscles in the last week, just by shoveling. Who needs a gym when winter is on the doorstep? And who can get to the gym with these roads?

Actually things are pretty clear here this morning. I'm going to dash out and pick up the last few gifts and some more baking supplies before the weather takes another turn. Too, I promised I'd stop by the bakery and help make some cookies. Tomorrow I just may have a new recipe to share.

That is, if I'm not shoveling!

Yummy!

Hazelnut Puffs



1 cup softened butter

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided

1 tablespoon milk or cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or filberts



Cream butter with 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add milk or cream and vanilla. Mix well, then gradually add flour and hazelnuts. Again, mix well. Chill until dough gets firm, about 30 to 45 minutes.



Shape dough into 1" balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, then place in preheated 375° oven for 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool for 10 minutes, then roll in remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar.

Banana Muffins

We're having Banana Muffins today. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Holiday Time!

In my house I'm in full-gear holiday mode. Trees, garland, lights, dinnerware with poinsettias...the whole shebang. I've got boxes strewn over every inch of free floorspace and honestly, it looks like Santa's workshop puked in my house.

There's stuff everywhere.

Hopefully by tonight I'll have it all organized, but right now it's really, really scary. And I love it.

Hope you're getting set to have a wonderful Saturday. Me? I'm hanging lights.

Timing Excerpt

Available from Liquid Silver Books.

It would have been simple to fake orgasm. After all, she’d done it so many times in the past, with such convincing results, that doing it yet again, moaning and panting,squealing and shivering on cue as if she was the reincarnation of Pavlov’s dog, would have been almost second nature to her. But in that instant, in that tiny flickering point in time, she knew she couldn’t do it. Not again. Maybe not ever.

I deserve satisfaction, too—don’t I? And not with my own hand or the thankfully nearly-silent flick-a-switch-always-ready vibrator I’ve got hidden in the bathroom,either. No, I deserve to feel a full-fledged, no-faking-it climax—with a man!

“Are you ready?” Tom groaned, his body tensed for release as he held himself above her. Supported by his elbows, his football-player’s body was still hard and muscular.After college he’d kept up the weekly practices and weekend games, as well as daily workouts at the gym. His love of sports had kept him in excellent physical shape. It was too bad his lovemaking skills weren’t as well-developed as his biceps or his tackling prowess. “Really, Lisa, I’m almost there. Are you ready, honey?”

Do I look ready to you? I’m lying here thinking about tomorrow morning’s meeting.Shit, I’m anything but ready. But maybe I’m not doing my part, either. Maybe I should concentrate a bit more, really try and get myself “ready.”

Shifting beneath him so that her clitoris came in contact with the base of his hard-on with every thrust, she matched the rhythm of his hips perfectly. Almost all of the lubrication she’d produced earlier, when they were kissing and touching, had dried up and the slapping of flesh on flesh was uncomfortable.

“Oh, yeah. That’s it, baby. That’s it,” Tom’s eyes closed and his head tilted back as he matched her movements.

“No, it’s not it,” she said. Pushing against his chest, she waited until his eyes opened and he looked down at her. His eyes were wide, his hips had stopped moving and his expression was one of pure shock. “It’s not doing it for me tonight. I’m sorry, but I’m just not into this.”

“You’re not … are you kidding me?”

“Why would I kid you?”

“But I’m ready to explode. Can’t you feel how excited I am?”

Nodding, she said, “I can feel how excited you are. Can’t you feel how excited I’m not?” She hated to hurt his feelings but sometimes the kindest cuts were the deepest.

It’s been a year. Let’s see what this relationship is made of once and for all. Will we get past this? Figure out a way to make both of us happy in bed? Or will this be the end of what has been, otherwise, a pretty good thing?

Tom looked like a man who’d just learned all his favorite things were illusions. His erection stayed firm, and deeply situated inside her pussy, but his face fell. For a moment it seemed he might simply get up and leave.

A part of her wished he would do just that. The other, bigger part of her prayed he wouldn’t.

Maidensong

From Celtic Love Knots, Volume 4, an excerpt from Maidensong:

“Interested in Pictish symbols, are you?”

The voice startled her. It came from directly behind her and she whirled around so quickly that she became off balance.Her body tipped and she banged her shoulder into the ten-foot-high pink granite stone she had been examining.

“Shit!” Dianne cried as she grabbed her shoulder. Stars danced behind her eyelids as the pain raced through her body.When it subsided she opened her eyes.The owner of the voice was tall and handsome in a rugged sort of way. His hair fell in full ebony curls across his brow and his eyes were a deeper, richer green than the lush grass that they were standing on. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular body and wore the outfit of every hiker in the Scottish highlands: jeans, a woolen sweater and hiking boots. His sweater was a deep loden green that matched his eyes.

“Didn’t mean to scare you. Are you all right?” He leaned closer to where she stood, rubbing her shoulder, and looked into her eyes with such intensity that she wondered what he was doing.

“Do I look all right?” she asked, scowling. “And what are you looking for, anyway?”

He pulled away from her and smiled. When he smiled it was as if the sun dimmed, she was so overwhelmed with the way his features moved on his face.Handsome when you’re serious, Lord-have-mercy gorgeous when you’re smiling.“I was looking to see whether or not you had a concussion,”he answered. “Apparently you do not.”

“I smacked my shoulder, not my head. And what were you doing, sneaking up on me like that? Did you try to scare me half to death?”

He tilted his head and a lock of black silk fell across his eye. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you at all. And Iwasn’t sneaking up on you, either. I didn’t try to conceal myself in any way.”

“So what, then? What were you doing if you weren’t trying to scare the pants off me?” She stopped rubbing her shoulder and stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

“I was merely trying to meet you, that’s all. It’s not everyday I find a beautiful woman at the Maiden Stone,” he said. He surveyed her the same way she had examined him. When his eyes met hers again he grinned. “And I did not say I wasn’topen to getting your pants off of you, mind.” He waggled his eyebrows rakishly and, coupled with his thick Scottish accent,the effect was hilarious. She threw her head back and laughed out loud, a sound that reverberated through the trees at the edge of the clearing.

Black Friday

Do you go out on Black Friday to do your holiday shopping? I know that stores open before daylight, and often people camp out in front of the store to shop. Gotta love their enthusiasm!

I'm not a big Black Friday shopper. The day after Thanksgiving I'd much rather hang around the house. After all, that's where the leftovers are!

What have you got planned for this day after?

Summersong, from Liquid Silver Books

Summersong is available from Liquid Silver Books. This story is one of my personal favorites.

When Lucy Graham's uncle passes away she inherits his rustic cabin overlooking White Swan Lake. She's just learned that her boyfriend has been cheating on her while she was nursing her ailing uncle so she packs up her laptop and moves into the dusty, neglected hideaway.

Back in the quaint town where she spent many happy days she finds herself confronted her childhood nemesis, Skip. He's wanted Lucy for years and now he's determined to have her. One afternoon as Lucy's walking on the shore he grabs her. As Lucy struggles, she hears a voice. A full, rich voice. A voice coming from -- the water?

Her knight, Maxwell James, arrives in an expensive boat instead of on a white steed. The handsome man saves her from Skip, but can he help her deal with a past that haunts her, a present that overwhelms her and a future that seems increasingly hazy?

Summersong is a story about dealing with the past, embracing new beginnings and finding love where you least expect to find it.

Writing up a Storm

I usually don't diet. I know, I know, I can hear the groans. Everyone should diet, right? Well, I don't. Especially not when I'm in full-on writing mode. Like now. Why not? Because when I'm caught up in writing something, just can't-get-my-mind-off-it obsessed, I forget to eat. Really. And between chapters, I jump on the treadmill for a few minutes to think.

Yeah, I know...it sounds crazy but that's just how it is. I've just started a new story and I'm already feeling a little bit leaner. Not a bad feeling, really.

Anyhow, I'm writing, exercising and forgetting to eat. Life is good.

What's going on in your world?

Cowboy Love

Torrid Teasers Volume 38 is available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

I am so psyched about this set of stories. I love cowboys, love the masulinity that seems to ooze from their pores and the way they swagger!

A Saltwater Cowboy is about romance in an unlikely place.

Dallas Dreaming is the tale of a woman who hopes to learn to ride a horse. She gets a few more lessons than she expects to, but all of them are definitely pleasureable!

I hope you'll check TT38 out for yourself. It can be purchased from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid here.

Blogging at Torrid Temptations

Today I'm blogging at Torrid Temptations! Come on over visit...I'd love the company!

Baking Lessons

Yesterday I spent all day long making these cookies at the bakery. Today I'll be frosting them. Thought I'd share the recipe. :)

Butter cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. almond extract or vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and extract. Gradually stir in the flour. Cover and chill dough until firm.Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or stamps.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Frost when cooled.

The Mead Steed

The Mead Steed released last August from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. It's a fun, sexy romp that was a blast to write.

Rose is a woman in a loveless marriage, a woman who knows she deserves more than she's getting and is determined to make a better life for herself. She divorces her husband, moves to Maine, enrolls in college and almost instantly meets a man. Tom owns a small shop and the couple are attracted to each other like bees to honey. They date, and all goes well--or so Rose thinks. When Tom doesn't call, she does what any woman in her position would do. She gets annoyed. Then, she begins to see other men. But, for Rose, Tom may just be her happily-ever-after man. Now, how to make Tom see that?

An excerpt from The Mead Steed:

Rose dropped her jeans on the white t-shirt, slid her lacy blue panties down to her ankles, then kicked them on to the top of the pile of sweaty, greasy-smelling laundry. After sticking her hand under the shower spray, she stepped into the tub. Heaving a sigh of relief as the warm water washed over her, she reached for the loofah and squirted a generous dollop of body wash onto the sponge.

“Damn, that place reeks. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat another french fry for the rest of my life—not even if I live to be a hundred,” she muttered as she began to scrub her body clean of the foul stink of hamburgers, fried food and stale coffee. After working the lunch crowd at the diner the only thing she yearned for was a long, hot shower. Which was good—since it was the only thing waiting for her when she retuned to the house she shared with her husband.

As usual, Jake wasn’t anywhere to be found. He had probably stopped off to have a beer—or two or ten—with the guys. But that…well, that wasn’t unusual. Jake had a habit of visiting the town’s watering hole after his shift was finished. He and the rest of the road crew practically had monogrammed bar stools, they were in the tavern so often.

As she washed her long, curly brown hair, she felt the strands begin to lose their coating of cheap vegetable oil. The oil clung to everything in the diner’s kitchen, and as she rinsed the first round of shampoo out she wondered, not for the first time, if there wasn’t somewhere she could work that didn’t involve such a rancid odor. It wasn’t until her hair and body had been scrubbed twice that she felt human again.

“I hate that place.” Rose’s voice echoed off the wet tile walls, a silky sound that made the empty apartment feel less lonely. She snorted. “The Diner. God, could it be any more ridiculous than that? How could anyone be so unimaginative? Naming a diner The Diner—jeez, it’s like calling a church The Church or saying The Store, The Gas Station…”

Beneath the warm droplets Rose’s hands traced a familiar pattern on her lean body. The routine never varied and she didn’t even realize what she was doing until her nipples hardened beneath her fingertips. A glance downward confirmed her feelings. Her body had reacted instantly to her touch. It demanded a kind touch, even if it was her own. As long as someone was prepared to attend to its needs, it was ready to comply.

With the tips of her thumbs Rose massaged scented soap bubbles across her taut nipples. Enjoying the tingling heaviness, she palmed her breasts, holding them as if she was weighing fruit at the market.A smile played around the edges of her mouth. She knew she’d never be doing this at the Shop ’N Save.

I hope you enjoyed the small sampling of Rose's fun! And I hope you'll read The Mead Steed. Please drop me a line here and let me know what you think. I love hearing from readers!

Praline Tart

I had fun learning how to make this. These tarts are yummy and easy to make so I think you'll enjoy the recipe. At least, I hope you do!



Praline Tart



1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

6 tablespoons butter

2 1/4 cups chopped pecans

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

10-inch pre-baked tart shell

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1/4 cup bourbon

14 toasted pecan halves



Place liquid cream, sugar and butter in large pot and stir until sugar dissolves. Then, boil mixture rapidly, stirring until it reaches soft-ball stage (236 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat.



Add the chopped pecans and vanilla extract. Whisk until mixture is creamy. Pour mixture onto a baking sheet to cool.When mixture is cool, tear off pieces and chop them in a food processor. Press the praline mixture into the tart crust, making an even layer.



Before serving, add bourbon to the whipped cream and spread on top of the praline layer.



Decorate top with pecan halves which have been toasted 5 to 10 minutes in a hot skillet or oven.

Island Treasures, Book 1 excerpt

Another excerpt from Island Treasures, Book 1.
Enjoy!

As he stood, Skip placed his hands on his lean hips. “Listen,Abby, I need to ask you something. You know I have toask this, and why I’m asking it, don’t you?”

“No beating around the bush, eh? You’re just goingstraight to the center of this old mess, aren’t you? Well, let’sjust get it out of the way then.”

“I can’t afford to beat around the bush. Well? Do youknow what I’m asking you here?”

“You want to know if I’ll have a problem working on thisproject. Working with Jon, that is. That’s why you came forme yourself, instead of sending some of the crew to fetch me,isn’t it?” Now it made sense to her. At first she’d been surprisedto see the head man meet the ferry but now she saw the reason behind his actions.

“I won’t deny it,” he said quietly. Without taking his eyesfrom hers, he asked, “So? Are you able to work with Jon? Iknow it’s been a few years—”

“Six.”

“That’s right, six years since the two of you—”

“Parted ways.”

Skip couldn’t resist—a tiny flicker of a smile passedacross his face. “That’s one way to put it, I guess. But you stillhaven’t answered my question, Abigail. Jon Perez is on theCilla Three and I need to know if you can handle it. Right now,before we leave for Hvar. Because if you can’t there’s noplace for you on this sail. You know that, don’t you?”His voice was steady and left no room to wonder abouthow strongly he felt about harmony on his ship. Business wasbusiness, and there was no room for drama in business, not asfar as Skip was concerned. There never had been. Anyonewho worked for him learned that straight off.

“I know it. You’ve always made it clear that personal issueswere to be left on land. On your boats there’s no…whatdo you usually call it, Skip? Wishy-washy-namby-pamby bullshit?Isn’t that the term you use?” When Abby grinned shelooked less like an award-winning photojournalist and morelike a teenager who’d skipped finals in favor of snorkeling.Her golden cap shone in the sun’s rays, her eyes, bluer thannearly any of the world’s oceans, sparkled and when shesmiled her whole face glowed.

“That’s the term. So?”

“I can handle it, Skip. Don’t worry about me, I’m so overJon Perez that I can barely remember what the guy looks like.What happened happened a long time ago, in another lifetimealmost. I won’t have any problem being on board with Jon, Ipromise you. Trust me.”

Peach Crisp

This recipe is too awesome not to share.

Peach crisp, for breakfast! I'm in Heaven!!

Try it, you'll see!

Filling:
5 large peaches, peeled and sliced
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange juice
Grated rind from 1 lemon

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Mix together all the filling ingredients. Place in buttered baking dish.
Mix together all the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the peach mixture.
Bake for 1 hour. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Summersong

I've got to tell you, I love this cover. And this is a story I needed to write. I know that might sound nuts but writers are like everyone else, and there are times when certain things just feel right. Summersong is one of those things. It came at the perfect time for me. I needed closure on some personal issues. Too, I needed to say good-bye to someone. And I needed to find myself a little bit, as well. I poured all that into this heroine so it was, truly, a necessary story for me to write.

Summersong has gotten great reviews. It's available here.

And if you haven't seen it yet, this is the blurb:

When Lucy Graham's uncle passes away she inherits his rustic cabin overlooking White Swan Lake. She's just learned that her boyfriend has been cheating on her while she was nursing her ailing uncle so she packs up her laptop and moves into the dusty, neglected hideaway.

Back in the quaint town where she spent many happy days she finds herself confronted by her childhood nemesis, Skip. He's wanted Lucy for years and now he's determined to have her. One afternoon as Lucy's walking on the shore he grabs her. As Lucy struggles, she hears a voice. A full, rich voice. A voice coming from — the water?

Her knight, Maxwell James, arrives in an expensive boat instead of on a white steed. The handsome man saves her from Skip, but can he help her deal with a past that haunts her, a present that overwhelms her, and a future that seems increasingly hazy?

Summersong is a story about dealing with the past, embracing new beginnings, and finding love where you least expect.

Just Checking

You Are 16% Paranoid Schizophrenic

You're so far from paranoid schizophrenic... you probably found this quiz to be quite amusing.

Are You A Paranoid Schizophrenic?

Monday Madness

Every week I go through the same kind of post-weekend madness. The house is a mess and must be cleaned. The fridge is empty so I've got to run to the store. We've got laundry up the...well, you know, and it's got to be done.

AHH!!

Maybe I'll just skip Mondays. Go right to Tuesday. What about you? Is there a nutty day in your week or are they all nice and calm? And if they're calm, please tell me how you do it! Please?

Plan for the day?

I have none. Well, maybe I have a plan. I'm not sure. Still very undecided.

The buzz for November is National Novel Writing Month. It's where you practically lose your mind trying to write a complete novel in 30 days. Sound like fun? It is. But I'm still not sure I'm going to take the plunge this year. So many other obligations to keep...so many excuses I can find!

What about you? Plans for the day?

Want to write a book with me? Hmm?

Two Winners!

I've chosen a winner and a runner-up winner in my Triple Treat contest. The grand prize goes to Jennifer. Then, just because I felt especially happy last night, we pulled a second name out of the hat. Karin, you win your choice of downloads from my backlist. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all who played my little spur-of-the-moment Halloween game.

Ladies, please email me at Rustywicks@gmail.com to claim your prizes.

BOO!

You Should Be a Skeleton

You are seen as funny and wacky. You enjoy being the entertainer. You see Halloween as a big party, and you love every costume and decoration. You don't get all that scared on Halloween, though you wish you still did! You love anything gruesome or horrifying. You definitely have a fetish for the macabre.

What Classic Halloween Costume Should You Wear?

Cold-weather goodness

A perfect treat for a cold, snowy day. Yeah, we're still having cold days here in Maine!

Enjoy!!

Cinnamon Babka

Dough:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
4 egg yolks
1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Topping:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup all-purpose flour

Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until frothy.

Mix the yeast in warm water with the 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Add yeast mixture to egg yolks. Then add milk, vanilla and salt.Add the yeast mixture to the creamed butter mixture. Slowly add the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Turn dough out onto a floured work surface and knead until dough is smooth.

Cover the dough and allow it to rise in a warm place until it doubles.

Butter a 3-quart pan and shape the dough into it. Allow the dough to rise again for about 2 hours.

Combine topping ingredients, then coat the top of the dough with the topping.

Bake in a preheated 350*F oven for 35 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.

Timing and Mrs. Giggles

"...Timing is a most memorable read with a sympathetic and well-drawn heroine..." - Mrs. Giggles gave Timing an 86 rating!

Have you read Timing yet? It's available from Liquid Silver Books.

Buy it here.

Thank you, Mrs. Giggles!

Triple Treat

To celebrate my return to my regular life I'm having a fast, impromptu contest. This weekend is Halloween (one of my favorite holidays. All that chocolate!!) so to celebrate that as well as my getting back to writing I'm going to offer some treats to my readers!

All you've got to do to enter is post a comment on my blog any time between now and Halloween. Halloween night, when the little ghouls are at our door, I'll randomly choose a winner. The prize is a copy of any of my title as well as a fall candle I picked up last week at the Yankee Candle store. I loved the scent so much I bought two. One lucky winner will get the extra candle. And--did you see it's a triple treat? I'll send the winner a Godiva surprise, as well.

So, what are you waiting for? Comment away! Every comment counts!

Early snowstorm

Oh, this is scary! We've been forecast to have a cold winter but I don't remember the last time we got walloped with a big, blizzardy snowstorm so early in the season! Here in Maine things have come virtually to a standstill. The world outside it white and the wind is whipping the snow around. All around me people are grumbling. I see this as a perfect day for sitting at my desk and writing an outline for the new story I've got percolating.

Snow...long winter...yeah, I think I'm going to like this!

How about you? Any snow in your area? Or are you lucky enough to be in one of those warm, sunshiney states?

Sidelined

Recently I've been sidelined by the circumstance of my life. This happens to all of us from time to time. We get caught up in the day-to-day bits and pieces, and the things we love most often get pushed to the side. For me, that would be my writing.

That's the bad news.

The good news? I'm back!

And I'm ready to write, blog, chat and every other little thing that I love. So look out, friends. I'm here, and I'm ready to have some fun!

Summer dreaming

Here in the northeast we've already begun experiencing cooler nights. I don't know about you, but one of the joys of summer is sleeping on a screened porch, watching fireflies and feeling a line of perspiration make a trail between my breasts. I know, it's kinda weird but hey, I like the closeness, the mugginess and the long, dark nighttime hours where sleep eludes because it's so darn hot.

To each her own, I guess.

I usually get lots of plotting done during those hours. My mind roams, taking me to new, exciting places to confer with interesting, sexy people. I've got a little book filled with bits and pieces of stories I've pulled from my head during long, sleepless summer nights.

The good news? We've gotten lots of hot nights here this summer, which means I've got some new ideas for stories brewing. The bad news? It's already getting cooler here. Tomorrow night the mercury is predicted to drop to--are you ready?--42.

*Sigh*

I see an end to my summertime dreaming/plotting nights. But you know what that means, don't you? Cooler evenings...the kind just right for banging away at the keyboard!

Hope you're enjoying the last warm summer nights! If you need a bit of sensual reading material, you know where to find it...

Olympics

We're loving the Olympics here. Loved the opening ceremony, and are keeping the television on much more than we usually do.

What about you? Are you as psyched for the Olympics as I am?

Found this Olympic quiz. Took it and Score: 85%

What about you? Aren't you curious to see what your Olympic IQ is?

Long weekend

I don't know about you but I love a long weekend. Of course we've still got Wooly staying with us so we can't really go away but that's all right. I don't mind. I'm just going to hang out, catch up on my reading and hopefully sleep late. Stay up late, too! All in all, I'm really happy to have a holiday weekend. What about you? Do you have any special plans for these warm weekend hours?

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July!

Joanne's new man!

I got a call from my neighbor Joanne last night. She's in Italy and she's met a man! OOOH!!! Isn't that great news? Joanne is a real sweetheart. If anyone deserves to be happy in love, it's her.

We didn't talk for long but apparently this divine man is named Jim. Can you believe that? An Italian man with a name like Jim? I asked her if it's short for something more exotic but Joanne didn't know. Apparently they've been too busy getting to know each other for her to find out the guy's personal info. Too funny. Really, too funny.

I wonder if this means she'll extend her trip? If it does, I get to keep Wooly for longer! Yay!!

Grilled Bananas, anyone?

I discovered a new delight last night. We were BBQing and hadn't thought of dessert so I used what was at hand...

BBQ Bananas and Cream

2 bananas
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

Plop bananas (sliced lengthwise) on grill. When both sides of bananas are grilled, put in a bowl and place two scoops of ice cream on top. Garnish with mint. Can be drizzled with chocolate sauce, too!

Oh, so yummy!!

Island Treasures excerpt

An excerpt from Island Treasures, Book 1. It's a perfect summer read! Hot, sexy and all the stories are set on lush tropical islands. Purchase a copy here.

“Please, be careful with this one. Fragile. Fra-gile. It’s fragile, do you understand?”

Abby reached for the shiny silver container and lifted it gently from the dock to the waiting arms of the muscular man who stood on the ferry.

A gold tooth glittered as he took her case and set it beside him with more care than she’d expected. Although she doubted his ability to understand English, her wide-eyed look, friendly smile and incessant head nodding must have bridged the language barrier. Either that or it was the fact that she was the only woman on the dock who didn’t have black hair, brown eyes and a mustache. That may have helped her cause—and her camera equipment.

Whatever the reason for his friendliness, Abby was grateful. She just wanted to get her stuff transported without anything getting broken. This trip was going to be difficult enough without starting off with cracked lenses. Or worse.

Hefting her duffel bag to her shoulder, she reached out and grasped the hand the swarthy sailor offered. Her hand, small and fine-boned, disappeared inside his beefy grip as she stepped onto the deck and smiled up at him.

“Thank you. Thank you very much for your help.” She smiled so broadly her face felt stretched. It was the last smile she had in her, too. Exhausted from a series of trans-global flights, she knew one more smile would lay her flat. Just one.

“You. Are. Vel… Velcome,” he said, tipping his dun-colored cap. With a quick glance at her tight jeans and blue eyes, he nodded and smiled, flashing one last gold glint in her direction before he reached up and took a mesh crate containing a live chicken from a local woman.

Carrying the metal box to the nearest empty space, she placed it on the floor beside her, dropped her bag and let her legs fold. Settling onto the hard wooden bench as gratefully as if it was a tufted velvet sofa, Abby let her head fall back and her eyes close.

She had done it. Just one more ride—a short one, even—and the journey would be over. From Pensacola to New York to London to Split. And from Split by ferry to Hvar. Halfway around the world.

Hell, I hope one of the guys is waiting for me when I get there. I don’t think I’ve got the patience to hang around on some Croatian island waiting for them to get their asses in gear and—what am I ranting about? They’ll be there. They’re going to be curious as hell—no one’s going to want to miss the fireworks, will they? Probably the whole damn crew will be waiting for me when I get off this ferry. Waiting to see what I’ll do, what I’ll say…

Too close for comfort

A two-person toilet? Just too weird for me...

Check it out here.

Sacro--what?

I have an uncle who's always carrying on about his sacroiliac. Is that the way you say it? Don't even ask me what exactly his sacro--you know, is. I don't know what, precisely, it is. All I know is it pains him.

When I was a kid and he went on and on about it I thought it was his butt. Apparently it's not his behind but still I don't have a clue.

All I know is I think I broke mine golfing this morning.

Really! I think I did.

All right, nothing's broken but hell golf shouldn't hurt this much should it? I must be waaaaay out of shape!

Off to lie down and watch a movie. Something soft and easy, with no physical movements in it at all. Like Sleepless in Seattle, or You've Got Mail.

Nothing with golf!!

Favorite golf stories :)

Okay, so I'm attempting (still!) to learn to play golf. Not going so good, let me tell you. I seem to be completely uncoordinated with regard to whacking little ball with long stick. My darling man is being much more sympathetic than he was initially, and is trying to be a good teacher. Personally I think it might have been my rant about my boobs getting in the way that made him back off. Whatever it was, I appreciate it. I was getting pretty damn close to whacking him on the head with the golf stick...uh, club.

Anyway, since I suck so badly at this stupid game (yeah, I'm working on the attitude! I promise!) people have been telling me their golf horror stories. It's been fun hearing them. Yesterday I may have heard the one that's the best so far. The woman telling the story is an excellent golfer but she said that when she was learning to play she hit a ball and it got stuck up in a tree. Yes, a tree. A big old maple, apparently. Anyhow, her husband laughed so hard he pissed her off and she climbed the tree, right on the golf course, and looked for the ball. She found her ball but when she reached for it --you guessed it!-- she fell out of the tree.

Broke her arm in three places. Now you wouldn't think this story funny but while she was telling it the woman was laughing so hard she nearly wet her pants. Her amusement cracked me up and there we were, laughing in the clubhouse like two loons.

Yeah, that's the best part of the whole golf expedition so far.

What about you? Any golfing war stories you'd care to share?

Moose Tales

I know, I know...I complain about the moose a lot but really I can't help myself. It's either let off steam here or have my eyeballs pop out of my head! You don't want to see my eyeballs pop out do you?

Well, maybe you do.

Crap. This morning I went outside to get the newspaper off the porch and found muddy tracks on my steps and the edge of the porch.

Not footprints. Not Bigfoot, either. Hoofprints. Like in moose tracks?

Rotten #@!!&* ate my geraniums! Right off the porch!!

Wonder what a condo in Hawaii goes for?

How's everything in your corner of the world? Seen any moose with red geranium petals between their teeth?

Wooly, Wooly, Wooly

Wooly's getting so used to being here with us, our dogs and cats and the rest of the nutty stuff in our house that she doesn't act like she's missing Joanne too much anymore. I'm glad because I hated seeing Wooly sad while Jo is off in Italy having fun. So Wooly's settling down, and will probably not even want to go home when Jo gets back!

Jo, not really!! When you come home I'm sure little Wooly will want to be with you again. Just tuck something yummy in your pockets, okay?

LOL, you know Joanne is freaking out right now!

Yeah, I know it's mean to torment the neighbors. But hey, I'm left dogsitting while she's off exploring the world...I've gotta get my kicks somehow, don't you think?

What have you been up to? Having any fun? That you can share, that is!

OOH, I love warm weather! It's not even summer yet and I'm having so much fun.

;-)

Whiff of Blue

Have you read Whiff of Blue? With its Civil War references, ghostly influences and hunky, hot men I had a blast writing this book. It's the sequel to Irish Eyes but definitely stands alone.

And isn't the cover wonderful?! I love this cover!

"I really enjoyed this book. Whiff of Blue was a funny, fast, and sexy read...Lily is city girl with a high sex drive that decided she wanted to step outside of her comfort zone and live in the sticks. Mel is a hard-bodied softie that only wants to make Lily happy. Ms. Wicks made Lily and Mel believable and that is what makes a good book." -Grade A from Shira, Simply Romance Reviews

Whiff of Blue can be purchased here.

Garden update

I don't know if you remember but my tomatoes were eaten by a moose right after I planted them. So I planted a whole second dozen and those, so far, have been fine. The moose are staying away and they're growing bigger every day. The tomatoes, that is. Not the moose!

But I have lost about four of my eight peppers to the moose. Who would have thought I'd have pepper-eating moose in the yard? Living in Maine is definitely an experience. I love it here but it looks like I'll be heading to the farmstand for my peppers this year.

A trade-off that I don't mind. Not really. We have some of the most gorgeous star-filled nights anywhere. On a clear night it looks like there are a gazillion stars in the sky. I'll trade a few peppers for that any day of the week.

What have you been up to? Having any success with your summer garden?

Sgroppino Cocktail

Sgroppino Cocktail

2 cups lemon ice cream, softened
2 tablespoons vodka
1/3 cup sparkling wine or Italian Prosecco wine, chilled
Zest of one lemon

Chill 4 champagne flutes.

Blend everything in a blender. Sprinkle lemon zest on top. Enjoy!

Now we know what's keeping Joanne in Italy so long...

Bestseller Bella Notte!

Bella Notte is on the WCPT bestseller list for May!

WOO HOO!!

I am psyched!

Have you read it yet? If you have, I'd love to hear from you. Please drop me a note and let me know what you think. I loved writing the book! It was a blast to research and the characters are just so wild!

The Blurb:

Can a Manhattan writer enjoy a string of handsome men in Italy without someone calling the United Nations to sort everything out? When Sienna travels to “the boot” she plans on tasting everything the country has to offer. Wine, pasta, men—Sienna wants it all!

She gets it, too—over and over again, with an assortment of handsome Italian men. There’s Paolo, who introduces her to the pleasures of moving seduction. Carlo, with his salame enorme, shows Sienna just how close friends can get. Enzo, a passionate swimmer, brings the joys of lakeside lust to light. And Guiseppe, whose ancestors’ orgies influence his modern lovemaking techniques.

So many men, each with his own special talents. How can Sienna sample so many tasty Italian dishes, yet choose only one? It’s hard, but that’s what she’s forced to do in Bella Notte!

Buy Bella Notte here.

Wooly's woes

Poor Wooly. She misses Joanne so much! It would be annoying if it wasn't so cute. Wooly is staying with us while my neighbor Joanne is in Italy. I've been taking Wooly next door every day when I check Joanne's house and pick up her mail. I've let Wooly sit on the porch glider with me and we've bonded. Sort of. I guess I'm all right but the poor little thing really, really misses Jo.

Hear that Joanne? You'd better be having a good time because Wooly misses you so so so much!

Sex and the City

Sex and the City was the top grosser at the theaters this past weekend. Is anyone surprised? I haven't seen the movie yet but I'm jazzed to see it. Maybe one night this week...

What about you? Have you seen the movie yet? Any plans to see it?

Back to golf

I don't know if anyone remembers but last summer my darling man tried to teach me to golf. I didn't do so well at it. Honestly I think my boobs got in the way. But today he's going to begin giving me golf lessons again. He swears he's going to be patient and not so jumpy and loud but I don't know...we'll have to see. One smartass remark and I might just hit him with the golf stick--er, club. It is club, isn't it?

Oh, at least the clubhouse has margaritas!!!

Have a great day!

Today's baking lesson

Dream Drops

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips, additionally

Combine 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and butter. Heat in microwave until chocolate has melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk together the egg, vanilla and sugar. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Combine the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt; whisk into the batter just until blended. Add the nuts and remaining chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly grease baking sheet. Roll dough into balls. Place them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets and flatten slightly.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes.

Me vs. Moose

All right, I'm ticked. I planted tomatoes yesterday in the back yard and this morning they're gone. Chewed right down to the dirt. The culprit? A moose. How do I know? The bugger left his big old footprints right in the garden!

AHHH!!!

I guess I'll try one more time to plant them before I put up a fence. Just what I need, a hungry moose. Why can't he leave my tomatoes alone and go for the grass? The grass needs trimming, my veggies don't.

The pleasures of living in Maine!

Jo in Italy!

Just so you know...

My neighbor, Joanne, is off on an early summer vacation. I've agreed to watch her house, pick up her mail, water her houseplants. I've even said I'll take care of her little dog Wooly. What's one extra dog around here?

So while Joanne is tasting wine and enjoying Italian sunsets, I'll be picking up after Wooly. I'll probably even be mowing her lawn.

Where's the justice in that?

Have fun, Jo! And bring me back something good. Something tall...dark...handsome!

Summer Love

His eyes watched her while she slept.

Her body, soft and sexy in the tiny bikini had curves in all the right places. Her hips were full without being flabby. Her abdomen was toned and taut, just the way he liked them to be. The classy silver navel stud, glinting in the sun’s dancing rays, made him want to lean over and push his wet tongue into the tidy little depression it guarded.

The breasts were a story unto themselves. Full and firm, they looked—incredibly—as if they were all her own, not the product of some surgeon’s skill with a pair of saline baggies, the way so many others were. No, these looked like the genuine article, lush and feminine. The tiny navy blue triangles that covered them—barely—hid what he imagined to be perfect nipples. The urge to push aside the triangles to peek at what lay beneath them was great but he resisted. The flimsy strings that held the bikini top in place had been untied before she fell asleep. They dangled beside her body, leaving the skimpy fabric pieces to stay—or not to stay—in place on their own. It would just take one small push to the side to see what he wanted to see… But no. He couldn’t do it. It wasn’t right to violate her privacy in that way.

That is one beautiful specimen of womanhood. So firm yet still soft. I’d love to feel myself sliding over that creamy skin. I’d part those soft thighs and pull that scrap of fabric aside and press my face to her pussy. I’ll bet she smells sweet and sexy, all woman and proud of it. I’d taste her before pressing my cock into her…ride her until she came against my hardness and then ride her some more. I’d ride her until my balls clenched and released a long, wet stream of cum into her soft, wet pussy—oh, hell, what am I doing to myself? I don’t need this, this self-torture. And hell, I don’t need her waking up and finding my pecker looking like a totem pole! What in the hell was I thinking, anyway?

He tore his eyes from her breasts and considered her face. The face of a goddess. A hot, exotic goddess, with high cheekbones and long, strawberry-blonde eyelashes that rested like butterflies against her skin. Her lips were full and just begged to be kissed. Her face was framed by a wild mass of curly red hair. The long tresses were strewn across the faded blue quilt that she slept on.
Watching her sleep so peacefully was something he enjoyed. He was enjoying it—a lot. Too much, perhaps. And his impromptu fantasy…well that had been great, too. But watching her perfectly clear fair skin turn an alarming shade of lobster-tail red…well, that was something he didn’t enjoy.

He knew he had to wake her up. It was only fair—the right thing to do—even if it would put an end to his viewing pleasure.

“Excuse me,” he said.

No response. The measured rhythm of her rising and falling chest didn’t skip a beat.

“Excuse me,” he said in a louder voice.

This time she shifted. The triangle above her left breast shifted ever so slightly but not enough to reveal what he wanted so much to see.

He cleared his throat, but that didn’t do any good. She slept on as if his voice was just an accompaniment to some internal lullaby.

“Hello? Excuse me,” he said in the tone of voice he generally reserved for speaking with his hearing-impaired grandmother.

It worked. The red-haired goddess’ eyes flew open.

She looked up at him and screamed.

Her scream, so unexpected and loud, startled him so much that he jumped. And when he jumped, she screamed again.

She sat up, twisting her body on the blanket so she turned and directly faced him. Her bathing suit top fell when she sat up straight but she didn’t seem to realize she had lost anything.

Nice tits. Great tits, actually. And real, I’m sure they’re real, like I suspected. Just beautiful.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked. She pointed toward where he stood, right near the edge of her blanket. “What do you want? And where the hell are your…your…”

He stared at her openly. The only thing he tried to conceal was the laughter that threatened to burst out of his lungs—a result, surely, of her outraged, shocked expression. It did no injustice to the beautiful face. She was still stunning, even in her current state.

“My what?”

“Your trunks! Where the hell are your swim trunks?”

Summer Love can be purchased here.

I love this one! I had to know...

What Your Easter Egg Says About You

You are a deeply spiritual and passionate person. Easily moved, you feel emotions strongly and clearly. You are compassionate, loving, and kind. People feel inspired by your strength and convictions.

The Easter Egg Personality Test

Summer's coming!

I'm like everyone else. I worry about the size of my butt. I know I should go to the gym more but again I'm like everyone else. Who has the time to run to the gym every day? I love it when I hear people who do make daily gym time, but I'm not one of them. Are you?

I do have those new gym sneakers, though...

Anyway, with bathing suit season just around the corner, I'm being more careful about what I eat. Sort of. And reading stuff like this. Interesting, I thought.

Have a good one!

Summer Love!

It releases tomorrow from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid! I am so excited about this release; it's a set of stories based on--what else?--summer love! Hot and sexy, the couples in these stories really make the pages sizzle. I hope you'll take a peek at my first summer release!

I had to know...

Your Body's Element is Water

You are a joyful, relaxed, and luminous person. You love people. You live for making new friends and helping others. You are enthusiastic and the ideal person to work with. You don't mind doing hard tasks, and you have a generous spirit. Your energy tends to be: conserved You power color is: black

What Element is Your Body?

Up to my armpits in dust!

We decided to clean out the attic. Why? Really, I want to know if you know. I personally think we're insane for deciding to tackle this disgusting job just when it's getting really warm. Imagine dust, a hundred year's worth of it, and a hot, dry, sticky, airless, darkish environment.

You got it. It's almost like the bowels of hell, I think. But we're doing it. Cleaning out, boxing up and putting curbside. Lots of junk that I have no idea where it came from, stuff the previous owners left. I can see why they left it--it's all garbage!

So that's what I've been doing since the weekend. What about you? I hope you're having more fun than we are, LOL!!

Who can resist?

This recipe comes from somewhere. I don't know who gave it to me or where it originated. I don't even know what these bars are really called. All I know is that in our house, they're comfort food. Big time. We make them at least once a month. Today's the day! Thought you might want to try them so I'm sharing yet another recipe.

BTW, the sneaker shopping went great. Got a reasonably priced pair of Nikes that are comfortable and decent looking. To the gym they go!

Here's the recipe. Hope you like it!

Cookie Bars

2/3 cup butter, melted
1 pound brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine butter and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Then add vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to sugar mixture. Add nuts and chocolate chips. Pour into buttered brownie tin. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

Sneaker shopping

Today is a day I'm not looking forward to. I have to buy a new pair of sneakers and it's going to be a pain in the butt. Not because my feet are huge (they're not) or because I'm on a tight budget (I am, like everyone else seems to be, but I've been stashing a few bucks here and there to buy new sneakers for a couple of months now. I knew this day was coming!) but because here in the boonies there really aren't many places to shop. Sure, I could drive an hour or so but with the price of gas who wants to go trekking for sneakers? Still, the ones I've got for workouts at the gym are showing signs of giving up the ghost so today's the day.

It's times like this I wish we lived in a big city. Then I'd have a choice of sneakers. But maybe I'll get lucky and find a killer pair on sale!

Yes, I do dream big, don't I? *G*

Have a great day!

Temptation, anyone?

Today's my day to blog over at Torrid Temptations! I hope you'll come by and say hi!

Popping up all over

Tulips, that is! Since I found the first one, the rest, just a bit reluctant I suspect, have followed. There are red tulips all over the yard and I am loving them. Just so colorful, bobbing in the breeze. Every morning I do a fast check from the windows, hoping none of the deer or moose have eaten any in the night. So far, we're all good but I've got a feeling that one morning I'm going to wake up and...well, let's just say I'm not going to be happy when all I see are stems!

Y has daffodils now and you know, as I pictured it I longed for the daffodils to come back. Ours have just faded and it's kind of sad to think I'll have to wait another ten months or so before they make another appearance in our yard. Maybe I'll just head to Y's house. Always wanted to see Alaska...hmm...yeah, that's an idea.

Oh. Crap.

If I left now I'd miss my tulips, wouldn't I? Maybe I'll just wait until the moose eat them (you know they're going to!) before I head out on my cross-country trek. Oh, I can dream can't I?

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Slow Sunday

Yes, we're going to have a slooooow Sunday. Time to kick back, chill out and relax. We've been going full force for the past couple of weeks so a little r&r is exactly what we need.

Going to grill again. Sit in the sunshine. Read. Dull as dirt, right? Yeah, that's about the right speed...slow and easy.

What have you got planned for the day? I hope that whatever it is, you enjoy yourself. And if you've got a few minutes, why not head over to Y's blog and check out her beach photos? They're gorgeous!

Have a great day!

Family for supper?

Doesn't that sound funny? Family for supper? Like we're going to skewer and BBQ the fam? Fine young cannibal style, with ketchup maybe?

Yes, my sense of humor on a Saturday morning is tacky, I know. Sorry. But we are having the family for supper, only they'll be sitting around the table with us. Since it's almost warm enough to grill outdoors we're going to pretend it really is warm enough. The thing to note is it's the first time we can actually use the grill without having to brush snow or ice off it. Yay! I'm not much on the actual grilled food, aside from the marshmallows that is, but I'm jazzed because I'm going to make one of my favorite side dishes. What is it, you ask? Au gratin potatoes, I say! What could be better than potatoes, cheese and butter, all melted together? And the recipe is fast and easy so this is a snap to pull together.

Sharing the recipe with you. Hope you enjoy it! BTW, what have you got planned for this beautiful day? I hope it's fun, whatever it is. Oh, and my mom puts ham chunks in this recipe but I'm not big on ham so I leave them out. My SIL puts broccoli in this but again, I leave that out. It just shows this is a really adaptable recipe so hey, put your own flair on it and have fun!

Au Gratin Potatoes


2 cups milk
4 cups peeled, thinly sliced potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons flour

Put milk, potatoes, salt, pepper and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until potatoes are almost tender. Remove from heat and add cheese and flour and stir. Pour into a greased baking dish. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes.

Tulip time

I've got to share a secret. Well, not really a secret but something that really makes me happy. It's a small thing, really, but I'm thrilled. Are you ready? I know you're going to think I'm crazy but here it is.

Yesterday evening, just before I came inside to make dinner, I found the first tulip of the season. Red! I know that in other parts of the country flowers have been blooming for months but here in Maine we're a little behind, flower-wise. I've had the leaves up and buds growing fatter with each day but no flowers in the tulip bed. Until yesterday, that is.

Now, one red tulip. I can't tell you how happy I am. I told you it was silly, but that's what's happening in my neck of the woods. I was so so so tempted to pick it and bring it inside but then the bed would be bare again so I left it. But I can see it from my office window so I think I might smile all day long. Yeah, I'm not going to get any work done. I might as well go outside and search for any other flowers that might be brave enough to make a showing!

See ya!

Small pleasures

Okay, this has become a staple in our house. Easy to make and yummy beyond words. I had to share it with you!

Pineapple Breakfast Cake

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups diced fresh or canned pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a square baking pan.

Whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, yogurt, oil and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients and stir until just blended. Add pineapple. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Combine pecans and remaining 3 tablespoon sugar. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until top is golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes.

An excerpt

It's been a while since I posted any excerpts. So...

From Celtic Love Knots, Volume 4, an excerpt from Maidensong:

“Interested in Pictish symbols, are you?”

The voice startled her. It came from directly behind herand she whirled around so quickly that she became offbalance.Her body tipped and she banged her shoulder intothe ten-foot-high pink granite stone she had been examining.

“Shit!” Dianne cried as she grabbed her shoulder. Stars danced behind her eyelids as the pain raced through her body.When it subsided she opened her eyes.

The owner of the voice was tall and handsome in a ruggedsort of way. His hair fell in full ebony curls across hisbrow and his eyes were a deeper, richer green than the lushgrass that they were standing on. He was tall, with broadshoulders and a muscular body and wore the outfit of everyhiker in the Scottish highlands: jeans, a woolen sweater andhiking boots. His sweater was a deep loden green thatmatched his eyes.

“Didn’t mean to scare you. Are you all right?” He leanedcloser to where she stood, rubbing her shoulder, and lookedinto her eyes with such intensity that she wondered what hewas doing.

“Do I look all right?” she asked, scowling. “And what areyou looking for, anyway?”

He pulled away from her and smiled. When he smiled itwas as if the sun dimmed, she was so overwhelmed with theway his features moved on his face.

Handsome when you’re serious, Lord-have-mercy gorgeous whenyou’re smiling.

“I was looking to see whether or not you had a concussion,”he answered. “Apparently you do not.”

“I smacked my shoulder, not my head. And what wereyou doing, sneaking up on me like that? Did you try to scare me half to death?”

He tilted his head and a lock of black silk fell across his eye. “I am sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you at all. And Iwasn’t sneaking up on you, either. I didn’t try to conceal myselfin any way.”

“So what, then? What were you doing if you weren’t tryingto scare the pants off me?” She stopped rubbing her shoulderand stood with her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

“I was merely trying to meet you, that’s all. It’s not everyday I find a beautiful woman at the Maiden Stone,” he said. Hesurveyed her the same way she had examined him. When hiseyes met hers again he grinned. “And I did not say I wasn’topen to getting your pants off of you, mind.” He waggled hiseyebrows rakishly and, coupled with his thick Scottish accent,the effect was hilarious.

She threw her head back and laughedout loud, a sound that reverberated through the trees at theedge of the clearing.

Monday and a moose

Yeah, a moose. Remember, I live in Maine and it seems the moose are restless here in the boonies. This week, anyway. I saw two this weekend while I worked in the yard. One last night when I was driving home from the grocery store. All that raking worked up an appetite, and since the man couldn't help me rake he offered to do the big Sunday dinner cooking. That is, if I did the grocery shopping. Fair enough! Anyway, one moose crossed the road while I was coming home.

Then this morning, just a little while ago actually, I saw one in the far corner of our back yard. That's right, in the yard. Stepping all over the pansies I planted yesterday.

Welcome to my world. How's your Monday going? Any moose in your yard?

This and that this weekend

What are you doing with your weekend? Are you planning on having fun or planning on catching up on all the things that accumulated on your to-do list during the busy workweek? Or, maybe a combination of both...work and play?

I plan to rake the yard. Yeah, I know, it's nothing exciting, titillating or exotic but hey, it's got to get done. And since the man in my life (the one whose job it usually is to rake the damn leaves) tore something in his shoulder a while back it's falling to me to do the spring yardwork this year. I'm hoping he's mended enough to rake in the fall but until then it's just little ole me. So...yard work.

Actually I don't mind doing it. It gives me lots of quiet time to think. Of course I use the time to plot in my mind and I get some of my best ideas like this. The only part I don't like about raking is picking up the leaves and bagging them. Ugh. Spiders and slimy stuff could be hidden in the mess, so maybe the limp-shouldered man can do the pickup one handed. What do you think?

So that's what I've got planned for today, and probably tomorrow, too. What about you? What are you doing on this gorgeous spring weekend?

Now, a rake is callling!

Still ruminating...

Recently on the Liquid Silver SeX blog I revealed I'm going back and forth about my next story, trying to decide whether it'll be a vampire, contemporary, shapeshifter...well, you get the idea. I got some great feedback (Thanks Roxy, Y and Savannah!) but I'm still not quite sure. Although I do see a vampire in my future at some point, right now I'm pretty jazzed about the idea of New Orleans as the setting for the next story. And New Orleans and vampires? Well, we all know how many times that's been done, don't we?


So I think it's a contemporary up next for me. I've gotten so interested in the history of the city, and the music and food, that it would be hard to walk away from the ideas brewing in my head. I have yet to put fingers to keyboard but I'm pretty sure I'm doing a contemporary in New Orleans. With the, um, vibrator? Or hot hunk? Or maybe two hot hunks? LOL, I feel like I'm playing Clue..."Yes, it's Professor Plum in the library with the wrench."



Hmm...now that's got potential...

Still in the kitchen

No story to go along with this one, but how about some turtles?

Chocolate Turtles

1 package caramels
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 cup pecan halves
16 squares semi-sweet chocolate

Melt caramels in heavy cream in the top of a double boiler.

Arrange pecans in groups of five (head and four legs) on greased wax paper. Spoon caramel into a small mound in the middle of the nuts to make the body. Let stand until firm.

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Using a spoon to drizzle chocolate coat body, head and legs with chocolate. Leave ends of pecans uncovered. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until chocolate is firm.

I've been busy doing research for a story that's set in New Orleans. When I saw a recipe for pralines I knew I had to try making my own. I've adapted the recipe, just to make the whole process a little bit easier. I'm pretty sure the recipe is going to come into play in the story...

Hope you have as much fun making these as I did. Yes, that's how I spent my Sunday afternoon! What did you do today? Anything you'd like to share?

Pecan Pralines

2 cups sugar
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup evaporated milk
2 cups pecan halves

In a large saucepan over medium heat combine sugar, brown, sugar and evaporated milk. Stir constantly while cooking, until the candy thermometer reaches 236 degrees F. or when a small amount of sugar mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard threads. Remove from heat. Place saucepan in a large pan of cold water to cool.

Butter a large sheet of wax paper; set aside.

When sugar mixture has almost cool, beat with a spoon until it begins to look dull. Stir pecans into mix, then drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

So many things to try!

No, not the way you're thinking, LOL. I saw a quiz this morning about various jobs people do and I thought, "Hmm...so many interesting things to try!"

I've had a bunch of odd jobs in my lifetime but so far I've yet to try Armpit Sniffing. Verrrry interesting, that one. The whole fun quiz is here.

What's the oddest job you've ever had? One summer I "babysat" a pair of love birds. I think that might be the most unusual profession I've had, bird sitter. Not too wild, I'll grant you, but it was interesting!

I had to know...

Your Extroversion Profile:

Assertiveness: Very High Activity Level: High Cheerfulness: High Excitement Seeking: Low Friendliness: Low Sociability: Low

How Extroverted Are You?

Italian Inspiration?

Lynda, the SSR reviewer who was kind enough to read and give me a marvelous review for Bella Notte, asked about my writing Bella Notte. I've been thinking about her question, and wondering just where the inspiration for the book actually came from.

Here, I'm going to have to admit that I've never been to Italy. Nope. Never. I was, however, in Spain for a few weeks. Does that count? I based a lot of the scenery and attitudes of the people on what I'd seen and experienced in Spain. I figured it was probably pretty close to being in the Italian countryside. Hey, everyone spoke a language I had trouble deciphering! That would be the same if I was in Italy. I can guarantee you that much!

Most of my inspiration for anything just comes from listening to people. My neighbor honeymooned in Bali and have been going on and on about how incredible the trip was. They've showed me tons and tons of pictures. I feel like I've been immersed in the culture and experience, even if it is vicariously. I have a good feeling the next story may take place in Bali.

Maybe someday I'll get to visit the spots I write about. For now I'll just have to research, dream and keep my ears open!

Bella Notte review!

Squee! It's a good day! A very, very good day indeed! The first review for Bella Notte is in! Can you tell I'm ecstatic?

From Simply Romance Reviews, a B+! Outstanding, that's what the B rating is! W00t! Too exciting!

Here's a little of what Lynda said:

"Bella Notte is a very enjoyable read. The men are more than sexy enough to make you drool and you will be envious of Sienna’s trip to the Italian countryside. The men are a little over the top – but it works for the story and Sienna is fun though a bit unbelievable when she can mess around with three other hotties while falling for Paolo. A very spicy read, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine and take a trip to Bella Notte you won’t be disappointed."

Thank you Lynda!!

The full review is at Simply Romance Reviews! Go check it out!!

Satisfying sex? A matter of minutes!

Only minutes needed for satisfying sex

Have you seen the news? It only takes a minute or two--or three--to satisfy our sexual urges. Well, duh. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out. But really, isn't sex a lot like wine? One sip is good, a whole glassful is even tastier.

The full story is here. What do you think?

Cover Art

I don't know if it's true for you, but I know I almost always investigate inside a book's cover based in large measure on whether or not I like the cover. I know the story behind a cover that doesn't appeal to me could be one of the greatest stories ever told but chances are I'm not going to read it unless someone tells me it's out of this world. I hardly ever buy books with dull, ugly covers. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but it's the truth. I do judge a book by its cover.

What about you? Do you sometimes buy a book based on the appeal of the cover? And what cover elements especially attract you?

I like covers with color. And men. I don't mind a bit of eye candy. So you can tell, can't you, that the cover of Bella Notte really makes me happy!

Bella Notte is out!

Bella Notte, my new Torrid release, is out today!

WOO HOO!!

Sienna's journey through the Italian countryside

has been called an "Italian Sex in the City" and

is sure to entertain readers with its hot,

steamy romance and cast of

heart-stopping characters.

Bella Notte

is available from

Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

Bella Notte in April!

It won't be long now! Bella Notte is being released in April! This book has been called a 'Sex in the City, Italian-style' romance, so watch out! It'll really get the pasta sizzling!

Thoughts on a weekend

Ancient lovers believed a kiss would literally unite their souls,

because the spirit was said to be carried in one's breath.

~Eve Glicksman

A kiss that speaks volumes is seldom a first edition.

~Clare Whiting

The sound of a kiss is not so loud as that of a cannon,

but its echo lasts a great deal longer.

~Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

A kiss is just a pleasant reminder that two heads are better than one.

~Author Unknown

A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech

when words become superfluous.

~Ingrid Bergman

When the moose are moving, we don't!

It's a fact of life here in Maine. When the moose are on the move, we stop. And wait. And wait. And wait and wait and waitandwaitandwaitandwait!

Get the picture?

Last night we were late to yet another function, this time a family dinner. Why? Because there were three moose in the road, blocking traffic. Most people would say we should've honked or shooed them away. But have you ever been nose to nose with a moose? Believe me, you don't just shoo these things away. Uh uh.

You wait for them to get good and ready to move.

So we waited. We waited so damn long that everyone started eating without us. That wouldn't have been so bad but the potatoes were cold by the time we got there. I hate cold potatoes!

See? I told you guys I'd write about this. Maybe next time you'll keep the potatoes in the oven until we get there!

Whiff of Blue reviewed :)

The first review for Whiff of Blue is in.

From Simply Romance Reviews, GRADE A!

"I really enjoyed this book. Whiff of Blue was a funny, fast, and sexy read...Lily is city girl with a high sex drive that decided she wanted to step outside of her comfort zone and live in the sticks. Mel is a hard-bodied softie that only wants to make Lily happy. Ms. Wicks made Lily and Mel believable and that is what makes a good book." ~Shira, Simply Romance Reviews

Thank you Shira. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story! :)

Intelligence?

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convincing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Bella Notte

Bella Notte releases in April from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.

Isn't the cover stunning?

I love it.

Think much?

Yesterday I read an article about what men think. Apparently, not much. Women spend a great deal of time trying to figure out just what's going through their man's head when in fact (according to the article, anyway!) there's not a lot going through his mind. Just...nothing.

Hmm. Wouldn't the time we spend wondering what they're thinking be better spent doing something else? Shopping, maybe?

Blogging at Torrid Temptations

Today I'm blogging at Torrid Temptations! Come on over and see what it is that I'm ready, willing and...well, waiting for!

A surprise

Well as you know I had Valentine's Day all planned out in my head. Dinner. Movie. Hand holding. Wine drinking. Nookie.

Hmmph!

It didn't exactly happen that way. While we were changing from our day clothes into jeans and sweaters(so, the restaurant we planned to go to wasn't 21 but the food is good, the prices are affordable and it's within driving distance of the movie theatre.) the phone rang. I said, "Don't answer it!" but he did. And of course, it was something that couldn't be ignored.

Really couldn't be ignored.

A co-worker of the wonderful man's wife went into labor yesterday. Earlier than expected, so their support system was nowhere to be found(probably enjoying a romantic dinner somewhere!) and they had no one to watch their 3-year-old twins while they went to the hospital to have baby number 3. Get it?

You know how we spent our Valentine's Day, don't you?

Oh yeah. Watching Disney movies and cuddling two of the most adorable little girls I've ever had the pleasure to meet. And around 5 am this morning we learned that the little girls have a baby brother, Jacob Nicholas.

Not exactly what we'd planned but hey, it was a great way to spend a romantic evening. Dinner and movies. But next time I think I'll try the fish sticks with my macaroni and cheese. They looked pretty good...

Welcome to the world, Jacob. And congratulations Hannah and Haley on your new baby brother!

Love is in the air

Happy Valentine's Day! I love this day, love the way everyone is smiling and looking just a little bit sneaky, LOL. I saw one man this morning who looked like he had a big secret. That is, if the size of his smirk was any indication of what he had up his sleeve!

Hope you have a super Valentine's Day! The darling man and I are going out to dinner tonight, then to a movie. And afterward...let's just say love will definitely be in the air!

Oh Thank God!

You Are a Candy Heart

You're definitely a pro when it comes to romance - and you have great dating etiquette. Plus you probably smell and taste pretty darn good.

Are You a Candy Heart or a Candy Fart?

Baking Lessons

Yesterday I spent all day long making these cookies at the bakery. Today I'll be frosting them. Thought I'd share the recipe. :)

Butter cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. almond extract or vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and extract. Gradually stir in the flour. Cover and chill dough until firm.
Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters or stamps.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Frost when cooled.

Whiff of Blue, first review!

The first review for Whiff of Blue is in!

From Simply Romance Reviews, GRADE A!!

"I really enjoyed this book. Whiff of Blue was a funny, fast, and sexy read...Lily is city girl with a high sex drive that decided she wanted to step outside of her comfort zone and live in the sticks. Mel is a hard-bodied softie that only wants to make Lily happy. Ms. Wicks made Lily and Mel believable and that is what makes a good book." ~Shira, Simply Romance Reviews

Read the full review here.

I had to know...

You Are 32% Addicted to Love

Might as well face it, you're a little addicted to love.You won't do anything for love, but sometimes you do more than you should.No one's worth losing your head for - because in the end you'll only lose your heart.Don't avoid falling in love. Just make sure you don't get too hooked.

Are You Addicted to Love?

New Cover! OOH!!

Last night I got my first glimpse at the cover for Bella Notte, the upcoming WCPT release that's been called an Italian Sex And the City. If I say I'm thrilled it's an understatement. A big, huge, whopping understatement. The cover for Bella Notte is gorgeous. Stunning. So pretty it stole my breath for a long, glorious moment.

I'll share it soon. Until I'm given the go-ahead to make the cover public, I'll just have to savor it myself. It is something else, I promise.

Superbowling

Yeah, it's true. A bunch of Superbowl widows are getting together to spend Sunday afternoon bowling. None of us are really widows, but we did "entice" our men to ante up funds not only for a day of female relaxation but also enough for us to make a donation to a local women's shelter. We figured that as long as we were going to prepare food and let the men claim the day for themselves, we would do something fun too.

We're meeting for breakfast. Then we'll do some shopping. Then we're going to spend the afternoon bowling, laughing and having fun. We'll stop for dinner and maybe a movie, too--if we're not too pooped by that time! And on Monday morning my friend Carla will stop by the women's shelter and drop off our donation.

All good.

Hope you're having a super weekend too!

Super Bowl Guacamole

8 ripe avocados
3 tomatillos, chopped
3 ripe red tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 small red onion, diced fine
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced fine
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
salt
4 limes, juiced

Peel and pit avocados. Chunk and place chunks in bowl. Add remaining ingredients, toss. Season with salt.

Ice Balls!

We've got ice balls here in Maine! They're bashing against my window panes, creating a real racket but making the world outside absolutely gorgeous. Everything shimmers, looks sparkly and magical.

Welcome to February in Maine!

Whiff of Blue, coming tomorrow!

WHIFF OF BLUE, my latest release from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid comes out on February 1st. It is a story about taking chances and finding love where you least expect it. Lily's sister Maddy found her heart's desire when she went to Ireland. Lily is hoping she will find love when she and her current boyfriend, Mel, take up residence in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's said there is something special in the air on the Ridges, something that just might coax reluctant hearts into finding love...

I'm sharing a sneak peek preview excerpt from WHIFF OF BLUE. I hope you enjoy it!

From Whiff of Blue:

Slipping inside the two-person sleeping bag was like sliding into a furnace. Naked, Mel gave off enough heat to melt a glacier. She pressed her cold feet against his warm ones and he shifted, rolling over onto his back.

With a grin Lily slipped out of her nightgown, rolled her panties down to her ankles and kicked them off, losing them in the bottom of the sleeping bag. She inched her way over to his shoulder and rested her head on it

Sex with Mel was surprisingly tender given the difference in their body sizes. Without an ounce of fat on his frame, Mel was a living, breathing muscle that could have easily wrapped steel bars around candy bars for fun. Lily, just over five feet tall, was small-boned and delicate, as petite as a china doll. Mel could have broken her in pieces if he’d wanted to but when they had sex he was sensitive and gentle—sometimes much too gentle for her taste. She missed the wild, sometimes rough, sex she’d enjoyed with others before Mel.

But Lily knew she couldn’t have everything. Placid sex was the price she’d had to pay for a guy who hung around past the first light of morning.

Lily trailed a hand across his wide chest, down his flat, rippled abdomen and into the nest of hair that began a few inches below his navel. Reaching for his penis, she found it lying against his leg, as soft and peaceful as a sleeping baby snake. He grew quickly and a surge of heat filled her, sending slippery wetness across her soft folds. Lily squeezed her thighs together—hard. A jolt of pleasure shot up her spine and it took all her willpower not to groan. She didn’t want to wake Mel, not yet…there were things she wanted to do—needed to do—before she woke him, before she let him have his sweet, tender way with her.

January 31st contest winner is...

Holly! Congratulations, Holly--one of my cats picked your name from the little pile of names on scraps of paper I put on the coffee table. It was too much fun to watch her sniff the pile, then nose the scraps around. Yours is the one that fell to the floor first so you win! A scientific approach to randomness, don't you think?

Thanks to all who entered! And thank you everyone who's been so supportive during this sizzling January! I appreciate all of you!!

Holly, email me at rustywicks@gmail.com and let me know which title you'd like as your prize.

Last January Sizzler Contest

Just a quick contest...

Leave a comment and tell me what's been the best part of your January 2008. Your comment enters you in a drawing to win any of my ebooks. You choose the book and I'll send it to you on January 31st, when I choose a winner at random.

Easy way to send out what's been a hot, sizzling month! So, comment away, please!

Hot in Maine!

Oh man I hate waking up to crappy news headlines. Frogs in lettuce? Funny stuff. This morning's headline? Oh, I'm steaming.

When I was a kid my mother used to say, "And what's that got to do with the price of tea in China?" It never made sense, but I never drank tea. I still don't drink tea but I think I know what she meant.

Have you seen the article about the price of chocolate? Who needs the cost of a bag of Hershey's Kisses to go any higher than it already is? Hmm?

And 13%? That's just too much. Way too much. I'm not happy. Not at all.

But what am I supposed to do? Boycott chocolate? I couldn't do it, I tell you. I just couldn't. Maybe a second job would help...

Whiff of Blue sneak peek!

WHIFF OF BLUE, my latest release from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid comes out on February 1st. It is a story about taking chances and finding love where you least expect it. Lily's sister Maddy found her heart's desire when she went to Ireland. Lily is hoping she will find love when she and her current boyfriend, Mel, take up residence in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's said there is something special in the air on the Ridges, something that just might coax reluctant hearts into finding love...

I'm sharing a sneak peek preview excerpt from WHIFF OF BLUE. I hope you enjoy it!


From Whiff of Blue:

Slipping inside the two-person sleeping bag was like sliding into a furnace. Naked, Mel gave off enough heat to melt a glacier. She pressed her cold feet against his warm ones and he shifted, rolling over onto his back.

With a grin Lily slipped out of her nightgown, rolled her panties down to her ankles and kicked them off, losing them in the bottom of the sleeping bag. She inched her way over to his shoulder and rested her head on it

Sex with Mel was surprisingly tender given the difference in their body sizes. Without an ounce of fat on his frame, Mel was a living, breathing muscle that could have easily wrapped steel bars around candy bars for fun. Lily, just over five feet tall, was small-boned and delicate, as petite as a china doll. Mel could have broken her in pieces if he’d wanted to but when they had sex he was sensitive and gentle—sometimes much too gentle for her taste. She missed the wild, sometimes rough, sex she’d enjoyed with others before Mel.

But Lily knew she couldn’t have everything. Placid sex was the price she’d had to pay for a guy who hung around past the first light of morning.

Lily trailed a hand across his wide chest, down his flat, rippled abdomen and into the nest of hair that began a few inches below his navel. Reaching for his penis, she found it lying against his leg, as soft and peaceful as a sleeping baby snake. He grew quickly and a surge of heat filled her, sending slippery wetness across her soft folds. Lily squeezed her thighs together—hard. A jolt of pleasure shot up her spine and it took all her willpower not to groan. She didn’t want to wake Mel, not yet…there were things she wanted to do—needed to do—before she woke him, before she let him have his sweet, tender way with her.