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My Sexy Saturday: Sleigh Ride

This week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is “A Sexy Sleigh Ride”—MSS’s “hats off to the holidays,” so to speak.

Sadly, none of my characters take a literal sleigh ride. However, in HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, there is a sexy Porsche ride that will suffice. In this scene, Cher and Derrick, best friends in high school, are getting reacquainted a decade later when she reluctantly returns to her hometown for some much-needed R&R. They’ve just kissed, and Derrick asks “What was that?”

Enjoy!

***

Cher pressed her back against the Porsche’s passenger door, hoping Derrick wouldn’t notice her heart still thrummed too fast. He’d been the star of some of her wildest fantasies over the years, but that kiss of his was more potent than any she’d conjured up in her imagination.

Maybe it was a good thing he’d rebuffed her in high school. She wouldn’t have known how to handle that kind of passion back then.

Like you do now?

She brushed aside her conscience. Of course she did: Humor was always her best defense. Her only defense, really. She found a few jokes were a much more effect way to get her way than tantrums or stony silence.

With that in mind, she tipped her lips into a grin. “I think it was you taking advantage of my resistance, weakened by extreme hunger.”

He chuckled. “That your way of saying I should quit flapping my gums and start driving, your diva-ness?”

“You got it.”

Home for the Holidays is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and in print through CreateSpace.

Black Friday blowout

I love a good Black Friday sale. Many years, you’ll find me waiting in line in an attempt to get something. Unlike the parents out there, I’m intent on finding deals for ME. That’s how I got my wireless printer (for less than $50) and bedroom TV. I’ve also picked up Old Navy Sweetheart jeans (my favorites) at a deep, deep discount.

However, since I just started back to work this week, I have no disposable income this year.

Boo-hoo.

If you’re a booklover on the prowl for a good Black Friday bargain, may I suggest this one:

That’s right. All Turquoise Morning Press books are 50% off—including my All Is Fair in Love & Baseball series.

Better yet, if you’re one of those people who hates to fight the Black Friday crowds, you can hit this sale without leaving the house.

For more details, visit the Turquoise Morning Press bookstore.

A lot to be thankful for

Yesterday on Facebook, Katie MacAlister asked her friends/followers what they were thankful for. But she didn’t want the standard answers—family, friends, health. She wanted us to share the quirky and offbeat things we’re glad to have in our lives.

Some of the answers were hilarious:

It got me thinking a couple of things:

How would I answer that question?
That would make a great blog post!

So here I am, blogging my answers. (They weren’t kidding when they said you can find ideas anywhere…) In no particular order, I’m thankful for:

My Target Red Card. Sure, they got hacked, but who hasn’t these days? I just dig the 5% discount on all the cat food, cat litter and Chobani yogurt I pick up at Target on a regular basis. Every cent saved is another cent I can add to the balance of my Starbucks card.

A car that runs—and lets me dress him up for Christmas. No kidding. Focus (or the Silver Streak, as I affectionately call him) is getting up there in years, but he’s a great little car. He starts up even on cold days and never objects to the cheery red nose and antlers I love to make him wear during the holidays.

My Keurig machine. I got it ages ago, but was too scared/lazy to figure out how to work it. The Boyfriend got a new apartment and convinced me to let him set it up there. He quickly figured out the setup and just as quickly decided the K cups were too expensive. He sent the lovely machine back up the mountain with me—so now I can have fancy coffee drinks at home. This will save me money at Starbucks, right?

Gourmet pizza. Picazzo’s has the best pizza. They make a mean Caesar salad, too. (The dressing…OMG, the garlicky goodness of the dressing… It’s seriously the best salad I’ve ever had.)

A job. (Okay, I cheated. This is a serious one.) The work is only part-time and temporary, but even that is better than nothing. I thought I’d enjoy not having a day job—more time to promote my books, and write and edit new ones. That was only half right. Even though I did spend a lot of time writing/editing/pushing sales, I spent just as much feeling hopeless, worthless and frustrated. Seriously—I’ve had a regular, full-time job since graduating college in 1994. So when my old boss called me and asked me to come back for a temporary, part-time gig, I jumped at the chance. I started Monday, and it felt great to be back.

Flagstaff. So what if the weather’s cold and residents are frustratingly resistant to welcoming any kind of chain stores or new housing developments? It’s still a gorgeous town, and people care about one another. I do wish it had a Trader Joe’s, though.

It goes without saying that I’m also thankful for family, friends and…well, my health leaves something to be desired. I need to get back on the “eat well and exercise” bandwagon.

Anybody see which direction it headed?

My Sexy Saturday: Our Sexy Thanksgiving

I’m in the throes of NaNoWriMo…and way behind, so this blog post has to be quick. Friday was Day 21, and I just crossed the halfway mark (25K) Thursday. Needless to say, I don’t think I’ll make it to 50K

Chalk up another one for “plotting rules, pantsing drools.”

This week’s My Sexy Saturday theme is “Our Sexy Thanksgiving.”

Say what?

“… This week show us all the characters love family. Maybe it’s someone who doesn’t have one and suddenly they find themselves with one. It could be about someone who has always looked in and wanted a home with all the trimmings including a family. There are many ways to be thankful and we’d love to hear some of those wonderful stories.”

Okay. I think I can find something that fills the bill.

In BLIND DATE BRIDE, Damien is the only child of college professor parents—and when he meets his reality TV wife’s family, he’s a bit overwhelmed. Her sisters ogle him, her brothers threaten him and he earns dirty looks for being a Cubs fan in a house full of White Sox lovers. In this seven-sentence snippet, Damien and Kari have arranged an after-dinner walk to keep her parents from watching the latest installment of “Just Married” (because it contains some embarrassing footage of Kari and Damien making out in his car).

A quick primer: Steve and Sean are Kari’s brothers. Claire and Shannon are her sisters. Frank and Sarah are her parents.

***

When they got back to the house thirty-five minutes later, Kari and Damien exchanged a glance. She took a deep breath and whispered, “Here goes nothing.”

Damien pushed open the door and was immediately greeted by Sean’s hostile stare. Steve, however, flashed him a thumbs-up, mouthing the words, “Good job.”

Kari’s other sister greeted them with a harsh laugh. “I stand corrected.”

Beside him, Kari’s face flamed fire engine red. Damien narrowed his eyes at the other woman. For some reason, he didn’t like this sister much.

It was then that Shannon came rushing to the rescue. “Mom, I have some bad news: The DVR malfunctioned.”

Sara Parker stamped her foot in frustration and looked at Kari. “I so wanted to see you in action, dear.”

Kari sucked in a breath at her mother’s word choice. Even Damien found it unfortunate. He was about to say something to come to her rescue when her brothers threw in their two cents’ worth. Sean tried unsuccessfully to stifle a snort and Steve quipped, “Trust me, Ma. You didn’t miss a thing.”

Find BLIND DATE BRIDE at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo, and in print at CreateSpace or Amazon.

My Sexy Saturday: Too sexy?

This week’s My Sexy Saturday theme, “I’m too sexy,” necessitates a trip back through time…way, way back to October 2013, when my first book came out.

Okay, so it was only a little more than a year ago. Not long at all in the big picture.

DIVA IN THE DUGOUT’s hero, Dave, is arguably the sexiest of all my heroes. Whether he’s on the field or on the playground with the 4-year-old daughter he just met for the first time, the Arizona Condors’ bad-boy shortstop is smokin’ hot.

Because, really, what’s sexier than a man who obviously loves his child?

Need proof? Google “Chris Hemsworth with baby.” An ovary explosion is guaranteed.

***

When they got to the park, Melinda hung back with her camera phone, documenting daddy-daughter time. She wanted Tara to have a reminder of this day in case Dave hightailed it out of here, never to be seen again.

It amazed Mel how easily Tara had accepted Dave. The sheer joy on Tara’s face every time she looked at her father made Mel wonder if she’d done her baby wrong by not looking for him.

But she wasn’t ready to concede the point. He could be a jerk…he could be a pervert….

He waved away a fly that landed on Tara’s head and then ruffled her hair as she chortled at something he’d said.

He could be a fantastic father if you give him half a chance.

Melinda swallowed hard. She owed Dave that much, just as she owed him more than a couple of hours with Tara…if he wanted it.

She crossed the playground to the curly slide Tara was clambering up. Dave shadowed her, ready to catch Tara if she started to fall. Regret squeezed her heart again. Maybe keeping him in the dark hadn’t been her wisest choice.

Find DIVA IN THE DUGOUT at Turquoise Morning Press, Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes.

Cover Reveal: Fire Wolf by H. Danielle Crabtree

Today I’m bringing you this blog’s first cover reveal. Sure, I’ve shared my own covers in the past, but never as part of an organized cover reveal.

What prompted me to join in this time? The author, H. Danielle Crabtree, is a friend of mine. We used to work together at the Arizona Daily Sun, until she left for sunny California. And she’s been the editor for my indie releases, HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS and BLIND DATE BRIDE.

Plus, the tour is organized by Alex Rosa at Wanderlust Book Tours, who did my blog tour for SLIDING INTO HOME. (Dani introduced us, as a matter of fact.)

Without further delay, I’m pleased and excited to bring you the cover for H. Danielle Crabtree’s FIRE WOLF (Fire & Reign 1).

Cool, isn’t it?

In case you hadn’t guessed, it falls outside my contemporary romantic comedy kingdom. It’s young adult fantasy.

The blurb

If trouble can be found, Lady Myah Leicht will find it…or so her mother and uncle believe.

As the future High Lady of Nordlin, council meetings and polite socialization rule Myah’s life and challenge her forthright nature. But playing by her family’s rules is a necessary evil if she ever wants to convince her uncle that she is ready to learn to use her magic.

However, when a plague rips through the capital city, Myah throws the rules out the window and joins the son of a visiting nobleman on a raid to steal medicine from a neighboring kingdom. When the venture fails, an enemy soldier—a boy not much older than she is—pursues Myah into the forest. She is certain she is going to die at his hands until a bear-size wolf saves her life.

Safe at home, she tries to forget the wolf and the boy as she navigates the politics of court. Her life gets more complicated when she finds herself once again face-to-face with the boy from the woods. Although suspicious of his motivations, her instincts tell her to trust him.

But trusting him could bring war to the northern kingdom, and jeopardize those she holds dear.

And then there is the matter of the wolf…

About the author

H. Danielle Crabtree is a freelance editor for independent authors. She has a professional journalism degree from the University of Oregon, and she worked for two newspapers as a writer and an editor. Her poetry has been published in several literary magazines and anthologies, and she has contributed short stories to two books with the G10 Writers.

Fire Wolf is her first young adult novel.

Website: www.hedanicreations.net

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hdaniellecrabtree

Twitter: @hedanicree

Instagram: http://instagram.com/danicrabtree

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5773879.H_Danielle_Crabtree

Click here to enter Rafflecopter giveaway for a $10 Amazon gift card and Kindle copy of Lord of War.

My Sexy Saturday: Getting in the holiday spirit

Are you as sick as I am of Christmas creep? I don’t know about you, but I tend to get a little ragey when I see Christmas wreaths decking the superstores in September. Let’s give Thanksgiving its chance to shine, shall we?

I’m not really in the mood to read holiday stories before November, either, but perhaps I’m in the minority. Publishers have been releasing Christmas books for weeks now.

Anyway… With Halloween and Election Day firmly in 2014’s rear view mirror, it’s safe to trot out holiday reads.

Speaking of holiday reads, check out the ad My Sexy Saturday authors took out in the Nov./Dec. BTS eMag. (It’s on Page 109.)

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS is in a unique position to capitalize on both Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Cher and Derrick get reacquainted on Black Friday. Driving home after a successful mother-daughter shopping expedition, Cher’s mother veers into a ditch to avoid an escaped cow. Derrick is the paramedic who answers the call and comes face to face with the woman he’d rejected in high school because he didn’t want to hold her back.

Enjoy this My Sexy Saturday snippet detailing the first time Cher and Derrick have spoken to one another since high school.

***

The smoldering fire in Derrick’s gray eyes set her soul ablaze, offsetting the chill in the crisp November air. “Sweetheart, you can trust me when I say I’ve improved with age.”

To distract herself from the flash of desire his comment sparked, she lowered her lids and tapped her inner smart-aleck. “You think so, huh? You’re not wine or cheese.”

That was a line of crap and she knew it. Even in the watery gray early morning light, he looked as good now as he had in high school. Better even, if she took into account the broader shoulders and more masculine presence.

He knew it, too, judging by his sly grin. Damn the man. Why couldn’t he have developed a paunch, or better yet, started balding?

A low, sexy laugh rumbled from deep in his throat. “Wine and cheese aren’t the only things that get better with age, Cher.”

Her mother hadn’t raised a fool, so she knew even The Grinch’s twenty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole wouldn’t be long enough for her to touch that comment safely.

When she remained silent, Derrick shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and looked at his heavy black boots for two beats. Then he met her eyes and flashed her the charming smile she’d never been able to resist.

Home for the Holidays is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo and in print through CreateSpace.

NaNo Word Count

Keep up with my NaNoWriMo progress in this blog post. I think it’ll work.

Gripped by NaNo fever

Can I make a confession? I came to the NaNoWriMo party somewhat late. For the uninitiated, NaNo is the (some say crazy) push to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days, from Nov. 1-30.

I joined the push for the first time in 2009, with the intent of writing about 40K to finish BLIND DATE BRIDE.

By the end of November, I’d only managed about 25K. I did, however, develop enough of a habit that I finished the first draft of BRIDE by the end of the year. Considering I’d started it back in 1999 or 2000, that was a major victory.

I decided to try NaNo again in 2010. That year, I started a brand-new novel—but I’d done some (okay, a lot of) pre-planning. I ended up writing 53K in 27 days. Yep. With a map of my story, I finished three days early.

In 2011, I joined the good fight with a vague idea for BREAKING ALL THE RULES (which will be a TMP release next spring). There were some rough patches and I thought about giving up. In the end, I spent eight hours in a chair at Starbucks Nov. 30, barely breaking 50K before it was time to go to work and put in another eight-plus hours.

In 2012, I had two wins under my belt, giving me the false impression that NaNo would be a piece of cake. I planned to get a good start on a single title story—50K of about 90K total.

Uh…yeah. Didn’t happen. My excuse: I’d just finished the draft of HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS, and couldn’t muster up enough oomph to write at breakneck speed for 3o more days.

In 2013, I didn’t even bother to sign up. I spent the six or so weeks prior to Nov. 1 writing the first draft of SLIDING INTO HOME, and knew from past experience that I’d be too drained to keep up the pace.

This year, I’m giving it another go, with the same single-title story I couldn’t get going in 2012. It’s a romantic comedy, of course. That’s what I write, after all. This time, though, there are paranormal elements.

Okay, the book’s only paranormal element is its ghost. The ghost is not a love interest, though. He merely meddles in the heroine’s life, having decided his mission is to help her get the happy ending that eluded him and his lady love so many generations ago.

I got the spark of an idea from Concrete Blonde’s song, “Ghost of a Texas Ladies’ Man.” I was walking through my neighborhood (back when I did that more regularly than I do now) and it came up on my iPhone.

“Wouldn’t it be fun to write a story about the ghost of a Texas ladies’ man?” I asked no one in particular.

And a story started to take shape in my mind. I thought I’d have no trouble writing it, because I pounded out a 3,000-word backstory for the ghost in an evening. The heroine was easy, too. Unfortunately, I could not come up with a good hero.

That problem has been resolved (I hope), and I’m excited to kick off NaNo on Saturday. Who’s with me?

If you’re joining in the fun, you might be interested in this blog post from Nathan Bransford. It promises “everything you need” for NaNoWriMo.