Yes, I’m still writing like my hair’s on fire, but I had to pop in to post something! I think it’s been 3 or 4 years since I missed a blog date. Now, it’s a habit/compulsion. Since I don’t want to think too hard about anything except the story I have to finish this week, I’m going to let you exercise your brain matter! Here’s all you have to do to win your choice of one of my recent releases…

See the picture? I saw it on one of my frequent visits to the stock photo sites. I downloaded it with no particular purpose in mind. I’m thinking I want to do a series of shorter witchy stories. Something fun. But beyond that, I have no other ideas. So, I’m putting this pic out there for you to think about. You can offer a simple one-sentence idea or paint an entire paragraph of a story. Have fun with it. I won’t be judging your idea!!! Now, go!

Thank you, Delilah, for having me as a guest blogger on this special day!

Today is my birthday. Many people I know stopped caring about birthdays sometime in their mid-twenties. After that pivotal 21st, which marked the ability to go bar-hopping using your actual ID, birthdays seem to be just one more reminder of the slippage of time. One more year older and, if you’re lucky, one more year wiser.

Some people don’t care for their birthdays because it’s another step towards their own mortality. Others, like my husband, simply don’t like the attention.

I am not one of these people. I love my birthday. It’s the one guilt-free day of the year I get to enjoy being fussed over, and I can be as lazy as I like. And I get pie – because everyone knows, there’s no calories in anything you eat on your birthday.

Over the years, I’ve had some truly terrific and truly terrible birthdays. My 21st birthday was spent in a foreign country, mostly by myself, watching Princess Di’s funeral. Kind of a letdown. My 39th, however, was one of the best I ever had, with a surprise party back in my hometown that included friends and family I hadn’t seen in years. My adult stepchildren even made the five-hour trek north to be there.

I’m now firmly ensconced in my 40s, and I still love marking my birthday as much this year as I did when I was 5, 16, or even 39. With every passing year, I find I give one less care – about what people think, about what society expects, about what a woman my age is supposed to be/think/do. Instead, I can focus on what I love – my family, my friends, my writing. It’s incredibly liberating.

Each birthday, to me, isn’t a step closer to “old age” or “knocking on death’s door”. It marks the passing of yet another amazing year – one that saw two more published books, children’s milestones, a special anniversary. And it presents another challenge for the next year. If this year was so good, how am I going to make the next even better? I don’t know… but I can’t wait to find out!

*~*~*

Cate Tayler is a beach baby, born and raised on the Connecticut coastline. She met the love of her life while serving in the US Air Force, and after extensive overseas travel, they are now raising their four children in the wild suburbs of Maryland.

Love Me Harder, the next installment in her Mystic Point series, releases October 1st.

Love Me Harder

Love Me Harder (Mystic Point #3)

Take two spicy chefs. Stir in a meddling mentor and a deadline for success. Pepper with hot sex and longing looks. A recipe for love…or will it all go up in flames?

The First Course…

Juliet Winslow earned her saltiness. The sassy chef made a fresh start in Mystic Point after divorcing her cheating bastard of a husband. Now the renowned head chef of the local French bistro is living the free life she wants, surrounded by good friends and the occasional casual fling. Until one tempting night with a scrumptious cowboy gives her a taste of what she’s missing.

The Main Course…

Nate Faulkner is on a mission. After discovering the truth of his parentage, the cowboy chef left his Montana home determined to prove his worth to his family and the father he yearns to know. His chance comes when his mentor agrees to invest in a restaurant with him, a small French bistro in a beach town in Connecticut. Nate has big plans for reinventing the place, but the tasty head chef who comes with the business is cooking up all sorts of distractions and threatening to throw his carefully planned menu into chaos.

Dessert…

A battle of wills is being whipped up in the kitchen. The harder Juliet and Nate fight against the attraction simmering between them, the hungrier they get for one another. But do they have the right ingredients for a happily-ever-after?

Preorder now – Price goes up after release!
https://catetayler.com/book/love-me-harder-mystic-point-3/

The first of the SEALs in Paradise stories is here!

Hot SEAL, Salty Dog

SEALs in Paradise
Brotherhood Protectors, A Brotherhood Protectors/ SEALs in Paradise Crossover Novel

Navy SEAL on vacation in Mexico wakes up married to a jilted bride and retraces his steps to matrimony…

Confirmed bachelor and Navy SEAL Chase Flannigan is celebrating his separation from the Navy in the tropical paradise of Cabo San Lucas. After a particularly hazy night, he wakes up with a ring on his finger and a beautiful woman in his bed, and no memory of how they got there.

Stood up at the altar, jilted bride Maggie Neal snags her best friend and goes on her honeymoon, one groom short only to wind up in bed with a hot SEAL, married and extremely hungover.

Together, Chase and Maggie take a walk down a fractured memories’ lane to discover how they ended up hitched. In the process, they discover a bullet hole in Chase’s baseball cap, a drug cartel with a vendetta against them and a burgeoning love born of respect and adventure, a love they never expected to find in paradise.

** Salty Dog ** is part of the Brotherhood Protectors Series. It is also in the “SEALs in Paradise” connected series. Each book can be read as a stand-alone. They do not have cliffhanger endings.

Get your copy here!

Books in this series:

Hot SEAL, Salty Dog by Elle James
Hot SEAL, S*x on the Beach by Delilah Devlin
Hot SEAL, Dirty Martini by Cat Johnson
Hot SEAL, Bourbon Neat by Parker Kincade
Hot SEAL, Red Wine by Becca Jameson
Hot SEAL, Cold Beer by Cynthia D’Alba
Hot SEAL, Rusty Nail by Teresa Reasor
Hot SEAL, Single Malt by Kris Michaels

UPDATE: The winner is…Misty Dawn!
*~*~*

Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate

“New company creates hackproof proprietary software…”

“DHS warns companies targeted on dark web”

“Hacker exploits Netgear router to nab US military drone files”

“Chinese group engaging in cyber espionage against US companies, report says”

“FBI warns hackers are targeting internet routers”

Software by Design creates new hackproof security software
By Joe Mallory
The Electronic Blog

In a world where suddenly nothing on a computer is safe, Liam Benedict, the wunderkind of proprietary software, is setting the world on fire with his ability to design software that will work only for one program on one system. It’s a boon for both corporations and Benedict, because the software is broken apart and reconfigured each time a client begins a new project.

Benedict says it also can protect financial information at banks, financial management firms, any entity where privacy and secrecy are more important than anything else. He has a team of trained, trustworthy experts who write code and create programs that are virtually impenetrable.

His explosion of success has come to the attention of Arroyo, a multinational conglomerate run by billionaire Taylor Cantrell and her husband, Noah. They were recently here in Tampa to seal the deal to make SBD a part of Arroyo. This reporter tried to arrange an interview with them but was told everything goes through their public relations department on San Antonio, Texas.

We did, however, learn that the company is moving to larger, more secure quarters even as you read this. There is also a rumor that Benedict’s newest client is a defense contractor who may or may not be designing a super secret project for the Department of Defense.

I’ll be doing my best to keep you updated.

Out and About Tampa Bay
The blog that tells it all

Is there a romance brewing or is the tech world’s newest wunderkind in some kind of trouble? High profile, much-in-demand criminal defense attorney Sydney Alfiore was spotted having drinks with Liam Benedict, owner of Software By Design. Benedict is much in demand because of his firm’s ability to design software that is project specific. Defense contractors are lining up to hire him. Rumor has it he has a new client who needs the best firewall in the world for a super hush-hush project.

Alfiore, meanwhile, is smack in the middle of a very high profile murder trial, where it’s said her client may be on the verge of convicted. Don’t believe it. Alfiore always pulls a rabbit out of the hat at the last minute. The media has been covering the trial on a daily basis and every television station wants five minutes of her time.

So how did these two people find the time to meet for a drink? And look very cozy doing it?

Stay tuned for further details.

Double Deception

No one could tell who was telling the truth…

For Liam Benedict, the merging of Software by Design into the Arroyo mega-conglomerate is a dream come true—until someone on his staff screws with critical software and puts the company and its future in grave jeopardy. Suddenly life is not so euphoric for Liam. His contract with a defense contractor is in jeopardy, he doesn’t know who to trust on his staff and there is a distinct possibility a foreign power is behind the whole thing.

When forensic data analyst Eric Braun discovers who it is and how they did it, he is killed before he can tell Liam who the mole is. Framed by the killer, Liam is arrested for murder. It will take the combined resources of beautiful criminal defense attorney Sydney Alfiore, the woman he, loves, and the huge Arroyo Corporation to solve the riddle, but can they do it in time?

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo| Totally Bound | iTunes

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Jarrod Bancroft Series – Five Novellas, NOW – all in one massive volume
Jarrod Bancroft: The Novel

Part I – A Gift for Jarrod

Life has been too easy for Jarrod Bancroft—rich parents, football star, law degree, high powered job, women by the score. Something is missing. He wants whatever Stonybrook Academy can dish out, much as it scares the hell out of him. And he was right to be afraid. He never imagined this. And the voice behind Madam’s mask sounds familiar, but after days of torture and deprivation, Jarrod’s only thought is to obey.

With everything she cared about gone, Dominatrix Macie Fitzgerald has built a new life in service to those seeking pain and submission. She takes pride in her success. So when she accepts Jarrod Bancroft’s application to her next training session, she acknowledges the risk. The ten years that have passed since he was her high school history student have only made him more magnificent in every

way.

Macie faces her biggest challenge as she struggles to fulfill her professional obligation to give Jarrod what he wants. What he needs.

Part I, now FREE at Smashwords

Get ALL five novellas in one big bundle. eBook format, now for a limited time, only $3.99 Amazon Smashwords

Paperback at Amazon, $14.99

Part II – Valentine’s Day

In the two months since Jarrod Bancroft showed up at her Academy for submission training, Macie Fitzgerald has violated every rule she ever made for herself. But as Jarrod keeps nudging the line, Macie must confront her fears about this man and the fires of desire he ignites in all her secret places.

Jarrod Bancroft knows what he wants: Macie. What she doesn’t give, he takes—a risky venture when you’re a sub. To complicate matters, there’s a legal hammer hanging over his head at Bancroft Investments that threatens to ruin his professional future. He takes comfort that Macie has his back, even if only in yet another sadistic torment.

But does she really? Or has he pushed too far?

Part III – Spring Break

Jarrod’s life takes an unexpected and life-threatening turn when he’s sucked into his father’s illegal business mess. Powerless as a nightmare unfolds around him, he dreams of his queen, the only woman he wants. But there’s nothing Macie can do for him now.

Terrified over Jarrod’s disappearance, Macie makes her choice. She loves him. She’ll do anything to help him. No risk is too great, even confronting the tyrant responsible for Jarrod’s danger.

Mysteries unfold as Jarrod fights to save himself and stake his claim on the woman he loves.

Part IV – A Day in Paradise

Macie confronts her worst fears after Jarrod disappears. Desperate to help, she risks body and soul in an effort to gain his freedom.

Held captive, Jarrod realizes his life is in danger. But he’s powerless, locked in a room with no escape. With only his wits and the lessons he’s learned at the point of Macie’s whip, he struggles to save himself.

Part V – Homecoming

Jarrod may be free of the island, but he is not free from what happened there. Each day is a nightmare of memories and new revelations. He’s in an assassin’s crosshairs. Worse, so are Macie and Chris.

Unable to penetrate Jarrod’s emotional barricades, Macie tries to forget him. But nothing works, and more than ever, she’s at risk of heartbreak. And death.

NOTICE: This book includes scenes of extreme BDSM. For adults only.

UPDATE: The winners are…Peggy, Colleen, Debra, Jennifer, and Kelley!
*~*~*

“Crown every passing day with some good action daily.” ~Martin Tupper

I collect quotes. I have for years. They provide me a daily affirmation. A rule to live by. Or simply inspiration to be a better me. I like this one because it reminds me that good deeds aren’t something you do when you feel like it, or when they are scheduled. As well, they don’t have to be large gestures.

For example, yesterday, I made my mother breakfast. The day before, I babysat the littlest one for my daughter. I don’t note when I do something nice for someone else, because I’m not doing it to receive praise, but because it’s a healthy way to live—good for my psyche. I’m not doing it because I want to earn my way into heaven or to earn points with the Powers That Be. Doing good deeds reminds me I’m part of the world, part of a family, someone needed. And I do know I’m appreciated.

So, my question for you today is what good deed will you do today? Or is there some small thing you did yesterday that you’d like to share? Fitting in good deeds in our busy, everyday lives can be a very easy thing to do!

Comment for a chance to win your choice of one of my short stories!

Part I – A Gift for Jarrod

Life has been too easy for Jarrod Bancroft—rich parents, football star, law degree, high powered job, women by the score. Something is missing. He wants whatever Stonybrook Academy can dish out, much as it scares the hell out of him. And he was right to be afraid. He never imagined this. And the voice behind Madam’s mask sounds familiar, but after days of torture and deprivation, Jarrod’s only thought is to obey.

With everything she cared about gone, Dominatrix Macie Fitzgerald has built a new life in service to those seeking pain and submission. She takes pride in her success. So when she accepts Jarrod Bancroft’s application to her next training session, she acknowledges the risk. The ten years that have passed since he was her high school history student have only made him more magnificent in every

way.

Macie faces her biggest challenge as she struggles to fulfill her professional obligation to give Jarrod what he wants. What he needs.

Part I, now FREE at Smashwords

Get ALL five novellas in one big bundle. eBook format, now for a limited time, only $3.99 Amazon Smashwords

Paperback at Amazon, $14.99

Part II – Valentine’s Day

In the two months since Jarrod Bancroft showed up at her Academy for submission training, Macie Fitzgerald has violated every rule she ever made for herself. But as Jarrod keeps nudging the line, Macie must confront her fears about this man and the fires of desire he ignites in all her secret places.

Jarrod Bancroft knows what he wants: Macie. What she doesn’t give, he takes—a risky venture when you’re a sub. To complicate matters, there’s a legal hammer hanging over his head at Bancroft Investments that threatens to ruin his professional future. He takes comfort that Macie has his back, even if only in yet another sadistic torment.

But does she really? Or has he pushed too far?

Part III – Spring Break

Jarrod’s life takes an unexpected and life-threatening turn when he’s sucked into his father’s illegal business mess. Powerless as a nightmare unfolds around him, he dreams of his queen, the only woman he wants. But there’s nothing Macie can do for him now.

Terrified over Jarrod’s disappearance, Macie makes her choice. She loves him. She’ll do anything to help him. No risk is too great, even confronting the tyrant responsible for Jarrod’s danger.

Mysteries unfold as Jarrod fights to save himself and stake his claim on the woman he loves.

Part IV – A Day in Paradise

Macie confronts her worst fears after Jarrod disappears. Desperate to help, she risks body and soul in an effort to gain his freedom.

Held captive, Jarrod realizes his life is in danger. But he’s powerless, locked in a room with no escape. With only his wits and the lessons he’s learned at the point of Macie’s whip, he struggles to save himself.

Part V – Homecoming

Jarrod may be free of the island, but he is not free from what happened there. Each day is a nightmare of memories and new revelations. He’s in an assassin’s crosshairs. Worse, so are Macie and Chris.

Unable to penetrate Jarrod’s emotional barricades, Macie tries to forget him. But nothing works, and more than ever, she’s at risk of heartbreak. And death.

NOTICE: This book includes scenes of extreme BDSM. For adults only.