| Your Body's Element is Water |
 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 |
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!!
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.
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!
Today's my day to blog over at Torrid Temptations! I hope you'll come by and say hi!
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!
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!
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.
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!
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.
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.
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?
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!
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...
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.
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!
| Your Extroversion Profile: |
 Activity Level: High Cheerfulness: High Excitement Seeking: Low Friendliness: Low Sociability: Low |
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!
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!!
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?
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!
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!
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! :)
| Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 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. |
Bella Notte releases in April from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. 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?
Today I'm blogging at Torrid Temptations! Come on over and see what it is that I'm ready, willing and...well, waiting for!
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!
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!
| You Are a Candy Heart |
 |
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 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.
| You Are 32% Addicted to Love |
 |
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.
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!
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.
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, 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.
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.
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!
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...
I know, it's wintertime here in Maine and we're usually dealing with grimy, dirty snowy slush. This year, though, we're fighting back against the winter doldrums with our own kind of slush.
Have some doldrums you'd like to beat? Or are you just in the mood for a yummy treat? Then try this, our Wine Slush--guaranteed to make you forget allll about winter...
Wine Slush
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup lemon sorbet
1 cup frozen red grapes
1 cup chopped frozen plums
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth.
Enjoy!
As usual the cover for my upcoming Whiskey Creek Press Torrid release, Whiff of Blue, is just perfect! It fits this paranormal romance so well it's almost as if the cover artist was inside my head when she designed it. Thanks again, Molly! I love it!:)
| The Keys to Your Heart |
 In love, you feel the most alive when things are straight-forward, and you're told that you're loved. You'd like to your lover to think you are stylish and alluring. You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please. Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with. Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment. You think of marriage pessimistically. You don't think happy marriages exist anymore. In this moment, you think of love as something you can get or discard anytime. You're feeling self centered. |
I'm psyched to play tag! April Martinez tagged me. I'm supposed to list six random things about me that you don't know. I'm not sure the things I'm going to list are worth knowing, but here they are anyway:
1. I played Lucy in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." It was, if I do say so myself, a stellar performance. *BG* I was six and thought I was the cat's pajamas. My mother was just glad I didn't embarass myself. I remembered all my lines, didn't fall off stage and, most satisfying, didn't get so frightened by the audience that I wet my pants. As I said, I was a knockout!
2. I cannot even smell tuna fish without gagging. Really. I don't know why it happens but if there's a tuna fish sandwich within twenty feet of my nose my throat closes and my chest starts to hitch. It can be embarassing, especially when I'm in a public area. Think parks, beaches, here... Yeah, it's not a good thing.
3. Portugese. I speak semi-fluently. Still taking lessons but with every lesson my language skills grow more fluid.
4. I'm allergic to laundry detergent. All right, I'm not allergic to laundry detergent. I just hate, hate, hate doing laundry! Hate it! I usually manage to get the man to do the laundry (whine, wheedle and whimper--they all work!) because I can't stand to do it myself. I'd rather take the garbage out, clean the catbox or change the oil in the truck. Have I mentioned I hate to do laundry?
5. I feel the same way about Chinese food as I do about laundry and tuna fish.
6. One of my favorite movies of all time is...drum roll please...are you ready?...all right, here goes...one of my favorite movies of all time is Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey. I know, it's not enlightening, intellectual or avant garde. But it is funny, and no matter how many times I see it it makes me laugh. A lot. So yeah, it's one of my fave movies. But, um, maybe you should keep that to yourself. 'Kay?
The Rules (Screw the rules! Do what you like.)
-Link to the person that tagged you
-Post the rules on your blog
-Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
-Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
-Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website
*My part of screwing the rules is that I'm not tagging anyone. This was a fun, fast game and if you want to play, consider yourself tagged. Jump right in, link back to me and let me know you're playing so I can come read the random facts you post. Have fun!
Thanks, April! :)
Sometimes the news headlines are so shocking. By now everyone knows Heath Ledger has died in his Soho apartment. I loved watching his movies. I think I've seen every one of them. My favorite has always been The Patriot with Mel Gibson. I love historicals and this is undoubtedly one of the best portrayals of that tumultous period in history.
Heath Ledger will be missed.
I know. I usually post baking lesson recipes. But it's so cold here in Maine I thought I'd share a recipe that's getting a lot of use in our house. Hope you enjoy it. Take it from me, it warms you up much more quickly than even the best home-baked cookies could!
My niece uses that expression..."Monsterously." Around here, things can be monsterously anything. Cold. Hot. Big. Stinky. Yummy. Anything a four-year-old can comment on can be monsterously something.
I woke up this morning and thought Damn! It's monsterously cold!
Summerime in Maine is gorgeous. Short, but beautiful.
Winter? Long. Ugly. Monsterously cold.
Today I'll be hugging the fire, working on my latest wip. No surprise, it's set on a sunny, hot island and the hero and heroine wear little more than their smiles. Yeah, I'm going back to that island today, even if only in my mind.
Have a great day! I hope that wherever you are it's monsterously warm!
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 offbalance.
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 I
wasn’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 every
day 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’t
open 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 theedge of the clearing
I've just read that 'Rent' is slated to take its last curtain call in June. I have seen the show a few times, mainly because after I first saw it I raved about it. Our friends all wanted to see what I'd been going on and on about, so we have had a bunch of dates for dinner, then the show, in the City. I've never minded seeing 'Rent' more than once. It's a great show, a modern day take on Puccini's 'La Boheme'. None of our friends has ever disagreed with my assessment of the show, either.
If you get the chance to get into the City before 'Rent' closes, I'd suggest trying to get tickets to see it. This will be sorely missed when the lights go down for the last time on Broadway's 'Rent'.
My new release is called Island Treasures, Book 1. It is a trio of hot, sexy stories set on islands across the globe. Love on the beach? In the ocean? Nestled beneath the canopy of lacy palm fronds? Oooh...doesn't that sound lovely?
Here's a taste of Island Treasures. Enjoy!
“Aloha.”
At the sound of his voice she whirled around, her eyes
wide as they found his. They were both tall enough to look at
each other above the wooden sides of the shower and they
stared, neither blinking, for what felt like an endless span.
“Aloha yourself. What can I do for you, Mano? What
do you need?”
“Invite me in. I could use a shower—to start.”
Lani nodded, and then took a step backward. She watched
as he unwrapped a towel from around his waist and hung it
from one of the hooks outside the shower. Then he unlatched
the door and stepped into the enclosure with her.
His body was even more exquisite than she’d imagined.
He was hairless, except for the light covering on his calves and
a small nest of black curls at the base of his penis. His penis
was long and thick, even at rest. A deeper shade of mocha
than the rest of his body, it had a dark rose-colored tip that
made her think of a large, ripe cranberry.
Mano reached for a bar of coconut-scented soap and,
smiling, held it out to her. As she took it he grabbed the
second bar. Stroking creamy lather across her wet skin, he
massaged her gently. When his fingertips reached her nipples
they were less demanding than they had been earlier and she
sighed, loving the feel of his touch on her.
His body became soap slick within minutes as she lathered
him up. Taking care to avoid his thickening penis, she
soaped from his shoulders to his waist, then around his cock to
his upper thighs.
Mano slipped his hand between her thighs. Inhaling
sharply as he found, then fondled, her throbbing clitoris, she
parted her legs, raising one foot to the bench to give him
greater access to her tingling folds.
“Touch me, Leilani.”
His cock stood nearly flat against his rippled abdomen.
Lani wrapped her fingers around it and slid her hand along his
silken steel shaft. She moved slowly at first, but as he pushed
her closer to orgasm her hand moved faster.
...about Jackie's Beanstalk.
“Jackie’s Beanstalk by Rusty Wicks is hot, sexy and fun! Iwas totally immersed in this story from the very first page…" -- Fallen Angel Reviews
Jackie's Beanstalk, modern-day fairytale...
His tongue slid wetly along the gentle slope of her neck as his
mouth moved lower to nip her collarbone. Her skin warmed as his tender
mouth touched her body with tiny kisses that were more whispers
than touch.
As his lips circled her hard nipple, pulling it into his heat and
stroking it with his tongue, she arched her body, pressing herself to his
touch. She felt the delicious sensations, the tingling that began somewhere
deep within her and would spread—she knew—to enfold her
fully. She longed for the feel of his touch lower…much lower.
A moan escaped from her body. It was a long, long sound filled
with remembrances of passion shared and the promise of delights yet to
come.
When his mouth danced along the flat planes of her abdomen,
traveling toward what could only be—
* * * *
“Shit!”
She felt the tremors fill her body as the riding mower
bounced off the trunk of a spreading maple. Her jaw snapped
shut, trapping her lower lip between her teeth and she tasted
blood.
It took only a second to back the John Deere from its position
against the tree, about the same amount of time that it
had taken to collide with the maple. She climbed off the
machine and strode to the front of the little tractor. There were
scrapes in the green paint and a good-sized dent in the front
by the right tire.
“Shit!” She swore out loud as she left the tree behind and
headed for the rest of the large yard. Swearing out loud on a
hot July day didn’t seem particularly unusual. After all, there
wasn’t anyone to hear her, anyone to mind whether or not she
swore or sang church hymns.
Jackie Wallace lived alone in the large farmhouse that had
been her parents’ home. When they moved to Sarasota they
left Jackie the keys to the house, the keys to their old Caddy
and the key to the cupboard where they stored the economysized
bags of dog food for their old dog, Lady. Jackie’s parents
had been gone for a year and Jackie and Lady were falling into
a lifestyle that, if not exactly adventurous, was at least comfortable.
She’d been especially thankful for the house—and
Lady—to come home to when her boyfriend of two years
tossed her out of his townhouse. He said he needed to “find
himself” when in actuality what he planned to find was the recently
divorced woman who had purchased the townhouse adjacent
to his.
Jackie knew she had to stop thinking about Troy. It was
driving her crazy, thinking about him and the things they once
did together. Besides, if she hit that damn tree too many more
times she was going to kill it. And what would she tell her father
when she spoke with him on the phone? “Oh, by the way,
I killed the tree you planted when I was born. How? Oh, I
keep smashing into it when I mow the lawn. Why am I crashing
into the tree? Oh, I just keep thinking about Troy and his
incredible lovemaking talents, that’s all.”
Yeah, I’d better keep my mind off of Troy—his tongue, his cock,
his talents—all of it. It was too dangerous to think about him
when she was—
“Shit!”
Jackie looked over the dented front fender of the tractor.
If she stood up in the seat and stretched her neck out far and
to the left, she could just make out the edge of what remained
of her mailbox. But just barely.
I don't know how many of you pay attention to the Weather Channel the way we do here in Maine. We have to. Winter comes in with a wallop up here, and that's the way it is until what we call spring but most of the rest of you call early summer.
Last night we got one good snowstorm, so today I'm heading out to join the ranks of snowblowing neighbors that surround me. I'll add my machine's din to the incessant buzz that fills the air and smile. Thank God for the snowblower! I can't imagine shoveling the new foot of snow in my driveway.
Tomorrow morning, there'll be more. Oh, yeah. The Weather Channel says so. And up here in Maine, we believe those folks!
Is Maryanna! Thanks to everyone who entered! My spur-of-the-moment little giveaway was fun! It will be the first of many this year, I assure you.
Maryanna, please email me your choice of download at rustywicks@gmail.com and I'll get it right out to you. Congratulations! I pulled your name out of the hat just after midnight!
ISLAND TREASURES, BOOK 1 releases on January 1st!
Available here at Whiskey Creek Press Torrid!
An excerpt from Island Treasures:
“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…
| You Will Keep Your New Year's Resolution |
 |
It's my new love. My honey bought me a board for Christmas and already I'm hooked. Why haven't I tried this before? Why didn't anyone tell me it's a world of fun zipping across the snow attached to a board? Huh?
Today I'm going snowboarding. What about you? What have you got planned for this Sunday afternoon? Hmmm?
I'm an enquiring mind. I need to know! *BG*
Wrapping up the old year around here. Filing things, getting my computer tuned up, straightening bills and receipts so the accountant will be pleased when I hand them over at tax time. Yes, around here it's wrap-up time. That way, I'll be set to jump right in to 2008 when it arrives.
What's going on at your house? Wrapping up?
Yeah, I'm finally back to work. Writing, that is. I've been on a little bit of a writer's vacation, I guess you could call it, but I think now that the holidays are over I'm going to get my butt in gear and begin to work on a new story. Something hot. Something sexy. Something that makes this long, cold, snowy Maine winter speed by a little quicker. ;-)
Hope your holidays were wonderful. Ours were fab, but as I said, now it's time for me to get back in gear. You? Why don't you take a few more days off to rest, relax and spend time with the fam. Someone's got to eat all those leftovers and play with all the neat stuff Santa left, right? So have fun, live a little. This time of year only comes around once every 365 days, remember?!
Egads! We've got cookies every damn place. Really. Really.
If you read this blog with any regularity you know I take baking lessons so I love to bake. I get great recipes from the bakery where I take lessons and I'm always trying new things. But this year, I think I went overboard. It looks like we've been under a Betty Crocker invasion.
Tea, anyone? Hot chocolate? Coffee? And maybe a dozen or two cookies to wash down? Please?
Today is one of those grey, gloomy days that come so often in Maine in the winter. I never mind them, not really. Sometimes I even bundle up and venture out to the beach on days like this. I walk and think, looking at the bits of beach glass, stones and shells thrown ashore by the high tide. Not today, though. Today is the perfect kind of day for settling in beside the fire place with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. Maybe a movie this afternoon. A Christmas movie, yes, that's the thing!
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!
Happy Wednesday. Now, dash away Rusty...
Thought I'd share an excerpt from Christmas In Cheyenne. Enjoy!
Spending Christmas Eve in a remote logging cabin in the middle of nowhere wasn’t Cheyenne’s idea of a dream holiday. It hadn’t been her intention to spend her holiday in the cabin but then things hadn’t been working out as she planned for a while. Ever since she left TJ three months ago it seemed her life had been a constant series of ups and downs, with heart-stopping dips in between. The past forty-eight hours had been one of the heart-stoppingest times she’d had so far.
It had never been her plan to be in the middle of a roaring snowstorm, stranded in a barren wilderness with a strange man. But that’s exactly where she was, at least until the snow let up some. And she would have to wait for the stranger to—well, to do whatever he was going to do. He had been out cold for nearly two days now and she had no idea whether or not he was going to live or die. Cheyenne wouldn’t leave him as long as he was breathing but if he died she was leaving, snow or no snow. She had no intention of being stranded with a dead man. Men had given her enough trouble when they were alive. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what sort of issues could come up if she was hitched to a dead guy. No—if he died, she was leaving.
There were no communication routes out of the cabin that she had been able to discover. She’d checked for phone lines or some sort of radio, but hadn’t found anything even remotely familiar. The battery on her cell phone had died the day of the plane crash. Its battery had been low when she’d boarded the small Cessna but she had thought she’d be charging it in her hotel room on Oahu within hours. Now she knew she’d be more likely to charge the damn thing on Mars than in Hawaii.
Cheyenne tossed another log into the oversized fireplace and stretched, hoping to pull some of the kinks from her neck. Sleeping in an old, lumpy armchair hadn’t done anything great for her back but the only other space was the bed and that’s where she’d put the guy. Had she been sure he wasn’t going to die anytime soon she would have gotten under the covers with him. But she wasn’t sure, and wasn’t taking a chance on waking up with a corpse.
Bunking in the chair gave her a sore body and stiff back but that hardly mattered. It was a reminder she was alive.
A rustling grabbed her attention and she turned to look at the man in the bed. He was staring at her.
Cheyenne rose, conscious she had removed her bra sometime yesterday. She was busty, and her breasts jiggled beneath the loose plaid flannel men’s shirt she had found in the cupboard. She hoped the stranger’s eyes were on her face and not on her other assets.
“You’re awake.” Her voice was loud in the small space, the only other sound the snakelike hiss and crackle of the fire. “It’s good to see you awake. How do you feel?”
She reached the side of the bed and looked down at him. Now that he was awake, she was acutely aware of their close quarters. That and the fact that they were isolated—very isolated.
There was also the matter of his nakedness. It was a situation she didn’t think he had noticed yet, but sooner or later he would figure out his clothes had been removed. Would he mind? Or would he change from lamb to lion and assume she was his dinner?
“I don’t know. Kind of fuzzy, I guess.”
She reached out to smooth his hair away from the bump on his forehead. It was a gesture that came instinctively.
“That’s understandable after what you’ve been through.” She stroked his hair again, more to touch the thick, black waves than to check on the bruised lump. It looked ugly but now that he had awakened she was pretty sure it wasn’t going to kill him.
Torrid Teasers Volume 40 is available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. You can purchase it here.
| Nope, You're Not a Grinch |
 |
Okay, so in Maine we're in full holiday gear. The stockings are hung, the mistletoe dangles in a number of places, and we've got cookies out the keister. I guess it helps that I take baking lessons and all year long I put aside cookie recipes that I think we should try at Christmastime. Ahh, my behind is going to be huge by New Year's!! But hey, I'm loving every minute of this!!
Snow. We've already got tons of snow. I wake every morning to the sound of the plow, and I love it. Yeah, I get a kick out of snow. Um, until February. Then I loathe the stuff. Really!
Hope your week before the big holiday season is going well. And whatever holiday you're celebrating, or not celebrating, I wish you well. At this time of the year, and any other. :)
We're having Banana Muffins
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.
For the twelve days of Christmas, your true love will send you: |
 Twelve punk rockers drumming Eleven marshmallows a-puffing Ten elves a-leaping Nine ladies singing Eight cows a-milking Seven rumballs a-drunkening Six kittens a-meowing Five golden coins Four calling bill collectors Three French fries Two Jesus action figures And a crazy homeless person in an apple tree |
Good God in heaven, I was in the mall yesterday and it is like the wild, crazy, free-for-all version of the Olympics! I saw free falls, shot puts with packages, sprints to Santa's lap and other stuff waaaay to weird to mention!
Oh, and did I say that I had a blast?! I love going to the mall during the nutty season. Love the music, scents, sounds and signs of the season. Even love driving in snow.
Go figure.
| You Were Nice This Year |
 You Were 35% Naughty, 65% Nice |
Call me silly but I love it when women are open, excited and honest about the joys of impending motherhood. I love it, too, that this article shows a young celebrity being cautious and responsible with regard to the life she's bringing into the world.
This is going to be one pretty baby! :)
And I love this photos--baby bumps always make me want to sit back and sigh.
*Sigh*
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 Wednesday. Me? I'm hanging lights.
You just never know what you'll find when you surf the web. Wondering about staying erect after orgasm? Look here. Besides that, there was some pretty interesting stuff there. Who knew? All we had to do was AskMen.
Huh.
Irish Eyes is available from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. It is a fun, sexy story and I had a blast writing it. Here's a small taste...from Irish Eyes:
They ate in silence, listening to the sounds of the
stream and the singing of the birds. Now that she wasn’t in
agony, Maddy could appreciate the beauty of the place. He
had chosen a perfect spot for their lunch but she wondered
how many women he had entertained in this sweet patch of
grass.
“Walk?” Shamus asked.
They had packed away the lunch remnants. She was
glad that he hadn’t jumped her as soon as the meal was
ended. No, the man had class. She knew what his intentions
were, yet he held back and she appreciated that.
“I’d like that.”
Shamus took her hand as they strolled along the edge of
the water. They took off their shoes and socks and rolled up
their jeans. They stepped on some of the bigger rocks in the
water and followed them across the stream to the other side
where a glade of trees lined the stream.
Below a whispering poplar tree, Shamus kissed her.
She could feel the thrumming of his heart against her chest
as he aroused her with his lips, felt herself growing moist.
And she felt his erection pressing against her abdomen when
he pulled her close.
“Colleen, you taste good enough to eat. I remember
how you tasted last night.” He kissed her neck, below her
earlobe, and she shivered at his touch. He worked his
mouth down to the spot at the very top of her shoulder,
right at the bottom of her neck, and bit gently. The brief
touch of his teeth on the sensitive spot made her
temperature rise and she sighed, leaning against the smooth
bark of the nearest tree to support her wobbly legs.
Eleven secrets most men keep, including your husband:
1. Yes, he falls in lust 10 times a day -- but it doesn't mean he wants to leave you.
2. He actually does play golf to get away from you.
3. He is unnerved by the notion of commitment, even after he has made one to you.
4. Earning money makes him feel important.
5. Though he often protests, he actually enjoys fixing things around the house.
6. He likes it when you mother him, but he's terrified that you'll become your mother.
7. Every year he loves you more.
8. He really doesn't understand what you're talking about when you discuss "issues" in your relationship. It makes no sense at all to him -- even though he will nod in agreement and apparent understanding.
9. He is terrified when you drive.
10. He'll always wish he was 25 again.
11. Give him an inch and he'll give you a lifetime.
Translation: Let him be a dumb guy and play poker with his buddies or go on vacation alone, and he'll love you forever for that.
The full article is here.
You've done it. You've either trekked over the hills and through the woods to Granny's house or you've been the "X" on the map that every member of your family made their way to. Your home is either blissfully silent or .... blissfully silent. Have the rellies come and gone? Have you returned home safely? Either way, you've --hopefully!-- had a super Thanksgiving.
Now, the day to sit back, relax, digest, catch up on everything you neglected yesterday, sigh and say "Aahhhh..."
Enjoy yourself!
And don't forget that there are tons of recipes using leftover turkey!
Four and a Half Hearts from The Romance Studio for Miami Honey! The full review is here. The book is available from Liquid Silver Books. I love this one! Janet is just too sassy for words. :)
Here's a bit of the review:
"...Miami Honey is a surprisingly enticing novella which copes with real-life issues of trust and life satisfaction in the context of a sultry, graphic tale. Janet is an exceedingly well-written heroine. William, her client Matt, her boyfriend, and Bruno, her manager, are also three-dimensional and realistic individuals. All in all, I highly recommend this story. I feel that I learned from it, even though unexpectedly, and that to me is one hallmark of an excellent tale."
From Anne, a Recommended Read at CK2S Kwips and Kritiques for 12 Torrid Days of Christmas! Here's the whole review. Snippets are below!
Christmas has never looked quite so sexy as it does in the 12 TORRID DAYS OF CHRISTMAS….
Turtledoves, Meow by Rusty Wicks is clever twist on the theme of the two turtledoves. Becky has to find those turtledoves for her son; she just can’t let him be disappointed! Percy’s Perfect Pets doesn’t have the turtledoves, but the very sexy Steve wants to help fulfill Becky’s dreams regardless.
Turtledoves, Meow is sweetly sensual. This is my first introduction to the writing of Rusty Wicks and what an impression she made! The chemistry between Becky and Steve is instantaneous as this is a story that will warm you up on cold days. What a beautiful and heartwarming story about the perfect gift for Christmas!
A Ring and a Prayer by Rusty Wicks is a take off on the five golden rings. What happens when you mix together angels, certain sex toys, and love?
Rusty Wicks certainly offers an innovative look at the five golden rings of the song. I’m not sure I’ll ever hear the song in quite the same way again! A Ring and A Prayer is a quick but tantalizing story that satisfies. I only wish it could have been longer as I wanted to see more of Joy.
Rusty Wicks then takes on the theme of six geese a laying in Goose Steps in the Snow. Trucker Matt Nolan is less than thrilled when he’s asked to deliver a load of geese to a petting zoo this Christmas. Sexy Kim Mendez is going to make him glad he made the trip!
What a hoot! I love the twist Rusty Wicks puts into this story. And the inclusion of the six geese is certainly clever. Readers will appreciate this sexy but humorous story as Rusty Wicks puts her own unique brand on the sixth day of Christmas in Goose Steps in the Snow.
A Dance and a Dream by Rusty Wicks takes on the nine ladies dancing. Anna is determined to train her ladies to properly leap for the theater production of The Twelve Days of Christmas. But it’s really John, one of the leaping lords, who has caught her eye.
Rusty Wicks does an excellent job at building Anna’s character. I can easily envision her reticence when it comes to her heart. John sees beneath her façade as well, and it is simply touching to see these two recognize their feelings for one another. It doesn’t hurt that A Dance and a Dream is pretty steamy, too!
12 Torrid Days of Christmas goes on sale on December 1st from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Wouldn't it make a wonderful Christmas gift for anyone? Especially yourself?!
I can't divulge completely yet but in the past few days I've seen covers that have me totally psyched. One is the cover for the Twelve Days of Christmas releasing from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. OMG, this cover is too much fun!
The other I got last night and I am out of my mind thrilled over it. It is the cover for my January Island Treasures release, also from WCPT, and I love what Molly has done with it. There will be a series of Island books and I'd worried the cover wouldn't work with all of the books but Molly is a genius. The cover made me squeal when I saw it!
Can't wait to show them to all of you. Maybe in a day or two. Until then, you'll just have to take my word for it. They are beautiful!
An 86 from Mrs. Giggles is something that makes me smile, for a long, long time. :)
The entire review is here.
"...Timing is more women's fiction than romance if we want to classify it as something because this story deals with Lisa trying to determine what the "right" thing to do is rather than a romance story of sweetness and sunshine. Tom is from all appearances a perfect catch - she likes him, he's gorgeous, he has a stable career, and he adores her. Is it "terribly selfish and immature", as Lisa puts it, to resent him for his inability to give her an orgasm and his turning sex into something she's come to dread? And oh god, he wants to do it all the time..."
Admit it. From time to time you have one of those weeks. The car stalls at an intersection and needs to be towed. You delete the last 2,000 words of the book you're writing. The cookies burn to a crisp--and that was what you'd planned on eating for dinner.
Welcome to my world.
TGIF.
Tonight for dinner?
I'm trying the cookies again. Only this time, I'm adding a Bloody Mary.
