Eeks! I was supposed to post this on Sunday, but you know I’ve been working so hard it completely slipped my mind! Sorry, JoAnne! The blog tour continues…

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Irish Kisses Pub Quiz — post 3

Today’s Question: Band-Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas, the UK Christmas chart-topping record was to raise funds for… what?

HOT WINTER KISS Released 30th November 2012

Book four in the bestselling Irish Kisses series.

Tasty treats await you.

PARINGS: m/f
FLAME RATING: four
GENRE: contemporary romance
PUBLISHER: www.decadentpublishing.com
PAGE COUNT: 47
CONTENT: May to December / Tinsel Play / Irish Castle / Snowed In / Holiday Romance

Hot winter kisses to warm broken hearts….

Sick of tending to everyone else’s needs around the holidays, divorced barmaid and granny Sandra ferries it from London to Belfast. All she wants for Christmas is some peace with a romance story in front of a roaring fire in a remote Irish castle. What she gets is a most unexpected Christmas present from her friends at Bell’s—A 1Night Stand with a young Irishman.

Can she hack it in the real world of romance, or are life’s complications and treacherous snowstorms best left to the pages of a book?

Newly widowed Ardan Draighean owns Ballygalley castle. Once run as a hotel with his late wife, the stone building now serves as a home for him and his son. After hearing about Madame Eve’s matchmaking skills, he contacts her in search of the perfect match. Although much older than him—by fifteen years—Sandra is his ideal woman. He be damned if he’ll let a good story get in the way of his happy ever after with her.

Hot winter kisses are all this couple needs to stay warm this Christmas, but will the heat stay long after the magical season of mistletoe has finished?

AMAZON US: http://www.amazon.com/lm/R2WFCBFWNDA9ZI
MORE BUYLINKS: http://www.joannekenrick.com/p/hot-winter-kiss.html

HOT WINTER KISS Chapter one, part two

She refused to head back to London to spend her time off babysitting her grandchildren while her daughter and son-in-law enjoyed themselves, as she did every year. She loved the little ones, but this once, she’d decided to put herself first. Shaun—her boss back at Bell’s Irish Pub in London—may have thought himself clever by suggesting Irish castle hopping, but he hadn’t considered Sandra’s Law. If anything can go wrong, it will.

She pulled out her mobile—she had programmed in the number for her hotels in case of an emergency—and hit speed dial. An Irish lady on reception answered and rushed to arrange a car to pick her up from nearby Laverty’s pub. The driver would take maybe an hour and a half to reach her, but she’d be waiting in the warmth and be at her destination before hot cocoa time. The lady had even offered a bowl of soup upon arrival, although the kitchen had closed.

With the promise of peace ahead of her again, she immersed herself in the seasonal spirit surrounding her. Even threw a couple of pound coins in the Salvation Army’s collection box and requested they play “White Christmas.” The group in their stern navy outfits and funky hats changed sheet music and piped out her request. Stupid idea. She cursed herself for wallowing in holiday misery and tried to block the image of her ex-husband down on one knee while he presented a ring box to her on Christmas Eve. Seemed like only a year had passed since she last kissed him. Other times, it was as if he’d been gone forever.

She clutched at her empty ring finger and a shudder raced over her. “Too fanciful. I expected a ‘fairytale romance,’ he said. Pft, what does he know? Romance does exist…and not just in storybooks. I will find love. I will.”

Four children scurrying past her with grins and rosy cheeks nearly knocked her to the ground. A woman lagged behind, weighed down by dozens of bags. Sandra offered to help, but the lady moved past, her face a mask of stress, and didn’t respond. Maybe she was mentally checking she had the stuffing and trimmings for the family feast. Heck, she’d usually be in the same shoes this time of year. Instead, she’d nothing but herself to think about. She tugged the woolen scarf tighter around her neck before turning the corner and crossing the road to Laverty’s.

To be continued in Irish Pub Quiz post 3, Laura Kaye’s blog (link in rafflecopter)

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About the Author

Born n bred Brit, JoAnne Kenrick grew up in a wee sea-side town in North Wales and has enjoyed a variety of vocations such as holistic healer, window dresser, and ghost tour guide. Having lived in Wales, England, and Scotland with her dear family, she finally escaped the dull British summers to reside in sunny Australia. After two years, they moved to the States where she endured three harsh winters in Minnesota. She now lives in North Carolina with her husband, two kids and two puddy cats. When they aren’t demanding her attention, or jumping on her head, she strums away on the keys of her little laptop, creating worlds and adventures she could only ever dream of. Come across the pond and faraway….with JoAnne Kenrick! www.joannekenrick.com

Get exclusive sneak peeks at her new and upcoming releases by signing up to her quarterly newsletter here: http://tinyletter.com/joannekenrick

Thanks so much to Delilah for hosting me!

Wednesday, my fifth book comes out! It’s a little surreal to think that in my first year of being a published writer, I have five actual books people can go out and read. Last week, my twin brother actually emailed me to say that while walking around on the base he’s stationed at, he saw a woman reading my novel Under His Skin. It’s crazy to me to think that there are people out there who are reading and enjoying my books! Sorry for my thinly veiled excitement, I’ve been bouncing in my chair for a month now.

Part of that excitement is that Bound with Pearls releases in just a few days!  I might be counting down the hours and minutes until I can flip through the digital pages of this book. It’s one of those I never thought I’d write and now that it’s done and about to be out there, just makes me all the more excited about it.

As the cover and blurb suggest, this book lives on the kinkier side of things. The heroine and hero have a decidedly Dominant/submissive relationship. Daniel takes the alpha role a step farther in the bedroom, which is exactly what Christine is looking for in her man. Through the story, they discover who they are as a Dominant and submissive, but also who they are as individuals away from the kink. I wanted to write about real people, who just happen to be a little, or a lot, kinky.

I can hear you now: So what do pearls have to do with whips and chains and all that scary stuff?

The art department at Ellora’s Cave really did a fantastic job with this book cover. Can I just gush a moment about it? I love the contrast between the beautiful, classic pearls and the black leather cuffs and whip. It’s such a visual statement about the character’s relationship.

I’ve always loved pearls. I think it has something to do with that old country song with the line, “You wore blue jeans with your pearls/That’s when I knew you were my kind of girl.” My fascination with this gemstone has grown the older I’ve become. While I still wear them with jeans and a t-shirt, I appreciate them in a more classic kind of style. I love the retro, housewife image of a woman with her full skirt and a string of pearls. I might be guilty of owning several such strands. In varying colors and lengths.

Do you see a fascination here? Besides simply looking beautiful, there’s a lot of neat history behind pearls, such as…

Did you know pearls are the only gem that’s made by a living creature? Okay, so we can debate how a live an oyster or a mussel is, but it fits the basic parameters. There’s no other precious stone that’s made by something. Sure we can make some synthetically now, but not like the pearl.

Pearls take their coloration from the inside shell of the creature they’re “grown” inside. They can be white, gold, purple or black, all depending on the color of the shell!

Some of the earliest jewelry we’ve found, dating back to 520 BC, is made from pearls.

There are several historical occurrences of entire military campaigns being funded by selling a few pearl earrings. They’ve been that highly valued through history!

I could go on, but you get the gist. Pearls are diverse. They’re a hardy gemstone, and they’ve stood the test of time. They’re beautiful, classic and more than a little unique. I mean, no two are the same. They’re as individual as your fingerprint.

I’d like to think that the characters in Bound with Pearls emulate some of those characteristics. Their kinky lifestyle can be beautiful or hard, they’re both unique individuals from pasts that are diverse and complicated, and they reflect the colors of their history. I think pearls are the perfect symbol for them. And maybe their future?

You can purchase Bound with Pearls and see how exact my description of them is on December 12^th, but I’m going to give one commenter a copy of the book! Just tell me what your favorite gemstone is and why!

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The Author

It can never be said that Sidney Bristol has had a ‘normal’ life.  She is a recovering roller derby queen, former missionary, and tattoo addict. She grew up in a motor-home on the US highways (with an occasional jaunt into Canada and Mexico), traveling the rodeo circuit with her parents. Sidney has lived abroad in both Russia and Thailand, working with children and teenagers. She now lives in Texas where she splits her time between a job she loves, writing, reading and belly dancing.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Bound with Pearls, purchase December 12^th from Ellora’s Cave!

The last thing Christine wants to do is another favor for her sister, but Lucy always gets what she wants. This time it’s Chris playing sub to a demanding Dom. Their relationship begins with a power exchange and progresses to time spent between the sheets. Now emotions are getting complicated and the Dom isn’t just a hunky guy in black.

Daniel’s expectations are turned upside down when he meets Chris. She’s more than a well-trained submissive. She’s a woman with a body he wants to memorize. He’s willing to spend as much time as it takes to learn her, because she might be his match and his muse. He’ll make her come so hard he’s imprinted on every inch, and then he’ll offer her the most precious thing he can, himself.

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Excerpt

Christine’s mouth closed with a snap. Her jaw hurt from clenching. Her hands ached from gripping her wrists. Blinking rapidly, she looked at the Dom’s broad back. He was getting ready to leave.

She’d failed, completely blown it, and he was right. Her attitude sucked. This wasn’t like her. She’d hit a low point and didn’t know how to dig herself out of this one.

Pinpricks of pain stabbing the backs of her eyes heralded tears. Screwing things up seemed to be her specialty today, from the reports at work to forgetting her entry fee for the charity race, and now it was going to cost her. Lucy wouldn’t give her the pearls when she found out the Dom had left, rightfully disgusted with her.

The muscles in her chest constricted until she was panting for breath. Her vision blurred with tears she had to dash away.

“Wait,” she said, her voice sounding strained and too high to her own ears.

The Dom glanced over his shoulder, unmoved. It shouldn’t get her off, but the idea of a man with such control was a turn-on. She’d been ready for someone big and scary or maybe on the scrawny side with a penchant for pain. Finding him a fairly normal guy unsettled her. Read the rest of this entry »

The winner of yesterday’s contest is pc (commenter #4)! PC, email me to let me know
you saw this.  I’ll ship you a copy of A Four-Gone Conclusion! Congrats!

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I’ve had my head down, ignoring the emails piling up in my inbox, ignoring the family as I finish up my current book. This morning, I wrote THE END. I still have to read through the book and figure out how to plump it up with 3000 more words to meet my word count requirement, but for all intents and purposes, it is finished! And thankfully, I love it. The characters are ones I fell in love with in the first story, Shattered Souls. Cait’s brittle and grouchy. Sam’s a rock. She softens in this book. Acknowledges the fact she can’t live without him. She’s put through a sequence of events that cements her love for him. And there’s humor woven in with the dark parts. I think you’ll like it.

I’m toying with calling this one Lost Souls. What do you think?

While I wrap this one up, I have to think about the next story that’s due way too soon. I’ll be rushing through it, and hope I like the results as much as I did for LS. We’ll see. It’s too early in the story to know. Needless to say, I’ll be buried in writerly stuff for a while longer.

For all you writers, my sister and I are starting the next round of “Write 50 Books a Year.” If you’re not on the loop, follow the link. Want to learn how to be a more productive, more focused writer for the new year? This is the class for you. Join today! Best part—it’s free!

I have a stack of mail in a laundry basket ready to go to the post office! The basket is filled with prizes and promo goodies. I’ll try to do that today, but it depends on whether I get the words written in time. My latest WIP is due on Monday, and I still have to write THE END. First things first, y’all.

However, since the hard part—the wrapping and addressing—is done for previous prizes, I feel okay beginning a new contest. I would like more reviews for a couple of books that came out this year. I need them posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you’re willing to post an honest review, then this contest is for you. This one’s run will be short. It ends next Tuesday, December 11th.

What can you win? A signed copy of either or both of the following titles. And there will be more than one winner, so pay attention!! (I’m feeling bossy this morning!)

What do you have to do to win? Tell me in your message, these three things:

• Where you will review
• Which book you prefer, or say “Both”
• Your email addy

I purchased all three seasons of the BBC series, Primeval, and have been watching it with my daughter nearly every night for the past couple of weeks. I’d caught the odd show here and there before and liked the premise of tears in time allowing creatures from other time periods (dinosaurs!) to slip through to the present.

Watching the episodes in order made a huge difference. 🙂 There are plot holes—Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly) isn’t responsible for the writing, but the cast is marvelous and the episodes fun.

So I was thinking, what paranormal or sci-fi series, now or in the past, do you love?
Is there one you would recommend we purchase for our next para/sci-fi marathon?

It’s Christmas in a few weeks, and that means one I can justify indulging in my favorite treat. I love to walk the stores at this time of year. The presentation of the chocolates intrigues me.  The colors and shapes, the selection – just lovely!  It’s while I was studying the heaped counters that I decided to devote this blog to fun facts on chocolate.

And as none of us are going to stop eating it – we might as well enjoy it!

1. Chocolate is healthy for you – it’s made from plants and contains many similar health benefits as dark green vegetables. Chocolate contains flavonoids, which act as antioxidants to protect the body from free radical damage.  A small bar of dark chocolate a day will help to reduce your blood pressure and has proven to lower your bad cholesterol by up to 10%.
2. Chocolate contains copper, iron, zinc and magnesium – nutrients that are essential to the body.
3. Chocolate has long been considered an aphrodisiac. It’s not, but it does contain a chemical, called phenylethylamine, which is the same chemical the brain produces naturally when you’re in love.  So only enjoy with someone you want to be in love with – at least temporarily.
4. Chocolate contains serotonin, which acts as a natural anti-depressant – so it’s actually good to eat when you’re feeling down.
5. Chocolate stimulates production of endorphins, which helps you feel happy.
6. Chocolate contains other elements like caffeine, and theobromine, which act as stimulants – so it’s good to take when you’re tired as a quick pick up.
7. In the US, almost three quarters of the consumers choose milk chocolate over other varieties.
8. In 2000, the Italians created the largest chocolate bar coming in at a whopping 5,000 pounds.  The Armenians broke that record in 2010, producing a chocolate bar that weighed 4410 kilos (9702 lbs).
9. The popular belief that chocolate causes acne has been proven to be inaccurate.
10. When making the Hitchcock film, Psycho, they used chocolate syrup to represent blood in the famous shower scene.
11. The world consumes close to 600,000 tons of cocoa beans a year. Most of these beans come from West Africa. It takes close to 400 of these beans to make 1 pound a chocolate a year.
12. The chocolate beans come from a tree species carrying the genus name of Theobroma – which means Food of the Gods.
13. The chocolate industry coaxes over $20 billion a year from consumers.
14. An average American will eat about 10-12 lbs of chocolate per year.
15. The Swiss were reputed to be the heaviest consumers of chocolate each year, consuming close to 21 pounds per person per year.  Not to worry, they have one the lowest heart failure rates and obesity issues.  However, the Swedish have just moved into the top spot – consuming close to 30 pounds per person per year.  I have no idea how their health issues are!
16. Chocolate melts in your mouth, because it’s made with cocoa butter, which has a melting point lower than the average temperature of the human body.
17. It’s been proven that allowing chocolate to melt in your mouth produces brain and heart rate activity that’s similar to – and even stronger than – the effects produced when kissing someone passionately
18. One chocolate chip, should give any adult enough energy to walk 150 feet. Imagine what that one chocolate chip cookie could do for you.
19. American chocolate manufacturers use around 1.5 billion pounds of milk.
20. The first chocolate cake has been traced back to 1674.
21. Hersey’s is the oldest and largest chocolate company in the US.  However, Cadbury is the most popular in the UK.
22. The snicker bar was named after a pet horse belonging to Frank and Ethel Mars.  It first came on the market in 1929.
23. And finally, who said money doesn’t grow on trees, cocoa beans were used as a currency back in the days of the Aztecs and Mayans.

Besides, I’m celebrating the release of Garden of Sorrow, book 4 in my Psychic Vision series this week – with my favorite treat, a big box of chocolates!

Alexis Gordon has spent the last year trying to get over the loss of her sister. Then she goes to work on a normal day…and reality as she knows it…disappears.

Detective Kevin Sutherland, armed with his own psychic abilities, honed by his friend Stefan Kronos, a talented psychic artist and law enforcement consultant. But Kevin has never seen anything like this case – a killer with a personal vendetta to stop Alexis from finding out more about him …and his long dead victims.

The killer can be stopped. He must be stopped. But he’s planning on surviving…even after death.

So how do you indulge? On occasion – and yes, every day could be considered an occasion in my house. Only on big holidays like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and Valentine’s Day? To celebrate? To wallow? Tell me, what role does chocolate play in your life?

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BIO

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She’s best known for her Psychic Visions series. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres.  To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series . All her books are available in print format as well.

To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayer and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author

Books by Dale Mayer

Psychic Vision Series
Tuesday’s Child
Hide’n Go Seek
Maddy’s Floor
Garden of Sorrow – Out December 1, 2012

Single Title Romantic Suspense/thrillers
Touched by Death – out now!

Novellas
It’s a Dog’s Life- romantic comedy

Young Adult Books
In Cassie’s Corner
Dangerous Designs – Book I
Deadly Designs – Book 2 – out now!
Vampire in Denial – Book I of Blood Ties
Vampire in Distress – Book 2!
Gem Stone Mystery Series- out now!

Non-Fiction Books
Career Essentials: The Resume
Career Essentials: The Cover Letter
Career Essentials: The Interview
Career Essentials: 3 in 1

New Holiday Release and Book Giveaway

Thanks, Delilah! It’s a pleasure guest blogging with you. I love this site, and I really enjoy chatting with all the readers. At our house, we celebrate Christmas. Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving, the kids are already begging us to get out and chop down a tree. When we remind them that a live tree needs to last until January 6, and we can’t cut one down for another couple of weeks, they start asking to get down the far-too-many boxes of holiday decorations from above the garage.

Last year, to keep this annual pester fest from spoiling the weeks between Thanksgiving and Tree Cutting Day, I came up with a plan. I bought three plastic storage bins and wrote each of their names on one. Then I took down all the boxes of decorations and chose a few things that I knew each of them would like. Placing them in their respective bins, I added suction cup hangers and non-paint removing double-stick tape.

They loved it! They first had to clean their rooms, of course, but surprisingly I didn’t hear the usual whining about that. Then they each spent hours decorated their rooms like tiny little Martha Stewarts, and I even found some short strings of lights for them to frame their window with.

It’s a lot more relaxed here, now that the decorating pressure is off, and I have time to do some writing. I’m part way through the second book in the Cowboy Jackpot series, which will take place on Valentine’s Day. But today, I’m happy to share the blurb, cover art, and an excerpt from Cowboy Jackpot: Christmas. I hope you enjoy it!

Here’s the blurb: A lucky first kiss in front of a Las Vegas slot machine pays off big for bull rider Boone Hancock and New York college student Gigi Colberg-Staub. During the day they spend together as VIP guests of the casino, an intense attraction develops. Throughout the night they share in the big bed of the comped suite, hot, sensual moves ignite wild climaxes.

When Gigi receives a miscommunication, she believes Boone thinks of her as one-night buckle bunny. She confronts him, but Boone convinces himself it’s best for both of them if she goes on believing that, and he lets her walk out of his life. When he realizes his mistake, and then sees the sacrifice Gigi made for him, is it too late to win her back?

Running her hands slowly up his arms, Gigi sighed. “I want to fool around.”

Boone tipped his head back and laughed like a kid. “You’re the best Christmas gift I’ve ever gotten.” Against the backdrop of the suite’s windows, he reminded her of a package all wrapped in lights.

His hands slid to her butt and he tugged her up.

Holding on to his shoulders, Gieselle balanced herself and wrapped her legs around him. She loved it when he carried her.

“You don’t have to ask this cowboy more than once.” He strode to the bedroom, bent over the bed, and laid her back on it. Lit only by the lights of the strip, the room wrapped around them, romantic and cozy.

Propping his elbows at her side, his face hovered inches from hers, his breath warm on her skin. “Baby, I’ve got plans for you.”

A hot shiver skittered through her. “Plans?”

“Mm hm.” His eyes darkened and his breath came faster. “

She unbuttoned one button of his shirt. “What kind of plans?”

He reached behind his back, tugged off her shoe, and tossed it. “Wicked ones.”

Flicking open another button, she asked, “Hot plans?”

“Yeah. And sticky.” He took her other shoe and threw it, too.

Opening the rest of his buttons, her mouth watered for a lick of his nice pecs. “God, you’re sexy.”

“Baby.” It came out on a growl and he ripped off his cowboy hat and threw it onto a chair. “You’re making me crazy.”

She tugged his shirttails from his jeans. “I want to make you naked.”

With incredible speed, he removed his shirt and leaned back over her. “Your turn.” He slid his hands from her knees down her thighs, his fingers tracing the elastic of her panties around her hips.

The rough calluses on his warm hands rattled lusty heat along her skin and down to her pussy.

Boone gathered her dress under her butt and sat her up, pulling it from under her and up over her head.

He froze, his eyes on her see-through lavender bra. “Oh, jeez.”

His stare puckered her nipples and tingled chills across her breasts. Gieselle laced her fingers through his hat hair, releasing the blond mop. The softness on her fingers tugged at her heart. A rugged cowboy with the sweet personality of a gentleman.

Boone’s mouth covered hers as he laid her back on the bed. He wrapped his arms around her, holding on tight. His big prize buckle chilled her belly.

She traced his lips with her tongue and he dove in, his tongue on hers, on her cheeks, tickling the roof of her mouth.

His overpowering strength did fuzzy things to her brain and wild, jittery things to her core. Her hips made tiny circles, cradling his hard shaft through his jeans.

“Gigi.” He whispered against her lips as his hips took up the rhythm of hers.

She scraped her nails lightly down his back. “Boone?”

“When you do that…” His mouth pressed hard and hot on her neck, his teeth nipping, his tongue tracing patterns. Slowly he eased his body lower, dragging his mouth along her skin, tasting as he went.

She closed her eyes and tipped her head back, thrusting her breasts closer to him as desire swirled and puddled low in her belly.

His mouth traced the line of her bra across one breast, then the other. “You’re so hot. Your skin is burning my lips.”

“Don’t stop.” Her blood raced through her like solar flares.

“No, ma’am.”

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I’d love to hear what your favorite part of the holidays is. Is it decorating? Baking? Cooking? Or shopping? I’m giving away an ecopy of one of my backlist books to one lucky commenter.

Cowboy Jackpot: Christmas is available in digital format at Smashwords and Amazon, and in paperback at Createspace and Amazon.

Randi
Randi “Rode Hard and Put Up Satisfied”
RandiAlexander.com
-Turn Up the Heat, Chase and Seduction, and Her Cowboy Stud are available at The Wild Rose Press and Amazon
-Cowboy Bad Boys is available in digital format at Smashwords and Amazon and in paperback from Createspace and at Amazon
-Cowboy Lust is available in paperback and Kindle format at Amazon