M.J.’s an old friend of mine from Texas. We knew each other well before either of us was published. I’m so happy for her success! Here’s a note from her:

Sunrise over Texas is my first historical. 1820s Texas was a pretty wild place, and not very settled. I figured a woman living in that environment wouldn’t have the same restrictions put on her as a woman living in society would, so I could make Kit pretty darned independent. THAT was a lot of fun. She knew her own mind and could hold her own. See if you agree.

Texas Frontier, 1826

Kit Barclay followed her husband into the wilds of Texas only to be widowed. Stranded with her mother- and sister- in-law to care for, with no hope of rescue before winter sets in, Kit has only one goal: survival. So when a lone horseman appears on the horizon, and then falls from his mount in fever, Kit must weigh the safety of her family against offering aid and shelter to the handsome stranger.

Trace Watson has lost everything that ever mattered to him. Trying to forget, he heads to the frontier colony of San Felipe, not caring if he lives or dies. But when he wakes to discover he’s being nursed back to health by a brave young widow, he vows to repay her kindness by guiding the three women back to civilization, no matter what the cost.

Soon, Kit and Trace are fighting the elements, Indian attacks and outlaws—as well as feelings they both thought were long buried…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trace woke to the sound of rustling hay and turned on his bedroll to see a vision in white standing over him, lit in the moonlight that spilled through the open window at the
apex of the barn’s roof. He scrambled up to sitting.

“Kit, what’s wrong?”

She lifted his bedroll and nudged him with her knee. He scooted over obligingly.

“Almanzo is just over there,” he protested, raising on his elbows and trying to see his friend in the darkness.

“He’s gone to Graciela.”

He reached past the sleep cobwebs in his head to comprehend her words. “How do you know?”

“I watched him leave. I couldn’t sleep.” She tucked her arm across his waist and rested her head against his chest.

There was nothing sexual in her touch, but his body responded to her closeness, her scent. He stared at the window, willing himself to stay in control. “You can’t do this every time you can’t sleep.”

“Do you want me to go?” she asked, her voice low with the confidence of a woman who already knew the answer.

“Agnes is bound to find out.” A thought occurred to him. “You aren’t doing this so she will get mad, are you? To break away from her?”

“All I want to break away from is being sad all the time. You make me happy.” Her fingers stroked the fabric of his shirt. “I don’t want you to go out with the rangers tomorrow.”

He chuckled. “Don’t you have confidence in your teaching?”

She lifted her head to rest her chin on his chest, her face partly illuminated by the moonlight through the high window. “We’re only just now safe. And you’re ready to put yourself in danger again.”

“I want to do my part. We might not have fared so well if Almanzo and his rangers hadn’t arrived when they did.”

“I know but—I’m afraid.” To counter the vulnerability of her words, she cocked her head and smiled. “I’ve grown rather fond of you.”

Her confession warmed him more than he wanted to admit, and made his heart swell. He turned onto his side to stroke his thumb over her cheek. “Not just the lovemaking?” The question revealed his own insecurities, and he regretted it the moment it left his mouth.

She reached up to trail her fingers over his jaw, his lips. “Seeing you, hearing you, touching you. And making love to you.” She reached down and lifted her gown, then unfastened his long johns as she eased him onto his back, lying over him, her breasts against his chest, guiding him into her with a little gasp. He moaned at the suddenness of her move, and in surprise at how ready she was, how slick. She began to move, just little bumps and slides that were sweet and a little awkward and arousing as hell. He got harder and harder as her body moved shallowly up and down his sex in a strange rhythm, as her mouth sought his. He fisted his hands in the skirt of her gown so he wouldn’t tumble her onto her back and plow into her like a mad man. Without warning, she found her release, her sex growing slicker, clenching him, and she sat over him, straddling, bringing him deeper.

He couldn’t help himself. His hips surged upward, into her tight body, again and again until he came, pulsing into her body.

Perhaps creating a child.

It was the first time he’d had the thought follow so hard on the heels of making love to her, the first time he’d considered becoming a father again that the idea didn’t scare the life from him. Instead he drew her over him, wrapping both arms around her and pressing kisses into her hair as he caught his breath.

The first words he wanted to say were, “I love you.”

Now that scared the life out of him, because he did. Loving someone, then losing her, was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

“You’re very quiet,” she murmured, resting her chin on the back of her hand to look up at him.

“A touch overwhelmed.”

“By my need to be in control?”

“No, I like your need to be in control very much.” He gave into his urge to curve his hands over her hips, and then he slid them down her buttocks to her thighs.

She sucked in her breath, and her eyes darkened as he grew hard inside her again.

“Do you feel like taking control again?”

“I might be willing to—oh! To give it up. Just this once.”

With a chuckle, he tumbled her onto her back.

*****
What kind of characteristics to you like to see in a heroine, historical or otherwise?

Until you’ve lost your reputation, you never realize
what a burden it was, or what freedom really is.
~ Harper Lee

I want to be like that one day. A one-line quote in The Goddess Within mini-book. Guess I better start saying pithy, quotable things, huh?

I’m supposed to be winging my way to West Virginia today. And there’s supposed to be a guest blogger here, but she didn’t show up. So it was fate, right? I’m not supposed to be at Lora Leigh’s big party this year. Nope, instead I’m sitting in my jammies, nursing a cold. I’ve emptied two bottles of Nyquil (lovely stuff) and a box of Kleenex (the kind with the aloe because my poor nose is sore).

Yesterday, I thought since it’s so warm still outside and the pool water is still in the 80’s, what difference does it make if I’m wet? Hmmm…my ears ache now because I couldn’t help myself. I couldn’t just look at the bugs and leaves the robot wasn’t sucking up. I went “pearl-diving”.

Back to that quote from the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. I flipped through my little book looking for inspiration, and that quote was the first to catch my eye. Why? It really struck home. I spent a lot of years in the military, a corporate job, a classroom—and I had to hide the wild child inside me. When I started writing, I let my inner vixen free to roam wherever. I kept my identity a state secret.

These days, I don’t care. I no longer pull a paycheck from anyone who cares what I do with the rest of my time, or what my morals are. I am free to be me. People ask what I write, and if they are old enough to send into cardiac arrest, I say, “I write very racy romances,” and give them a wink. Sorry, had to pause to clean the screen. I sneezed. The rest, I tell them I write in the very lucrative genre of erotic fiction. I don’t have a reputation left to lose—unless it’s for writing really steamy, really nasty pervy books. I’m loud and proud and out!

So, no more soapbox. Just thanks to everyone who’s bought my latest two releases. Four Sworn and Pleasing Sir are chugging along nicely as far as I can tell. I really don’t know how to get the word out any better than I do. I know this blog has a limited audience—mostly friends who’ve been with me a while. I kind of like that, but I would also like to know how to reach more people, because one of these days, I’d love to have an even bigger, badder rep. 😈

Thanks to everyone who made yesterday’s release day so perfect! And although I’ve had to cancel my trip to West Virginia for Lora Leigh’s RAW due to illness, I still have friends scheduled to take over this blog for the next few days. I might poke my head in the door occasionally, but I will be resting for the most part. Thanks again for your support and all your wonderful comments concerning Four Sworn! ~DD

Paranormal Logistics In a Semi-Normal World
by Fiona Jayde

As a writer, I love the art of world building. As a reader, I eagerly devour different worlds and customs and rules other writers create to spin their tales. I love seeing how fellow authors take common elements of vampires, werewolves, angels, witches, heaven and hell and everything in between and make it unique and sparkling. But being me, I always wonder about the logistics. Are there bathrooms in hell? Don’t people (and by people I mean angels, demons, weres of any species, witches, humans and humanoids) need to clean up after steamy love making? When weres shift, what the heck happens to their clothing and other personal items?

I’ve ran into that last problem head first when planning my paranormal series. My Bloodwolves (or Lycks) shift into fairly large wolves, and I had to make the hard decision to either somehow let them keep their clothing, or follow the rules of physics (such as they are) and make the clothes tear off. Torn clothing does leave a lot of nice possibilities for those steamy love scenes. But in reality (again—forgive the word), who wants to run around a city buck naked?

Nakedness aside, how do paranormal creatures live? Do they have money? You need at least a couple of bucks to buy a fresh bag of blood (we’re talking good vampires here—baddies will just eat and run). Do werewolves/angels/witches work? Pay rent? Buy toothpaste?

With so many excellent examples before me, I turned to the masters. Angela Knight in her Mageverse series allows her weres clothing to “meld” to their bodies– they chalk it up to magic, simple and clean and brilliant. JR Ward’s vampires have access to millions—probably because they are so old they’ve had ample time to mature their investments. Buffy the Vampire slayer got a job at a fast food joint to pay the bills. And Spike had a nice crypt—and though we never did see a bathroom, one would assume the undead don’t have need of facilities.

All these choices have significant effect on the characters and their conflicts, and overall storylines. In my case, I decided I liked torturing my characters. Which meant that they can’t just shift on a whim in plain sight because it can be embarrassing getting stuck in one’s own pant legs. With no opposable thumbs to help take those things off.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The first installment of a kickass paranormal series, Night Haven introduced readers to the world of vampires, bloodwolves and pulse pounding action.

Coming September 21 to Samhain Publishing

Desire cuts both ways…
Nothing gives Dina more pleasure than leaving the vampires she hunts to the mercy of the dawn. And yet most humans she is sworn to protect seem all too happy to offer up their necks. She has vowed never to be like those needy creatures yet, three months ago, she allowed a vampire to kiss her. The memory still makes her body burn—and her skin heat with humiliation.

For over twenty empty years, Luke has lived in a world of dead pleasure and burning sunrise, feeding off those who long for immortality and taboo thrills. Only his art makes him feel half-alive. Until one night in a dark, moody nightclub, where a reckless, amber-eyed bloodwolf left behind her clean, sharp scent—and an ache in his blood nothing but another taste can ease.

Finally, with the chance to purge Luke out of her system, Dina moves in for the kill. But she comes to a horrifying realization. She can no longer shift, and the desire to taste him—body, soul and blood—is making her crazy. As an enraged bloodwolf threatens to rip them both apart, she may just be crazy enough to trust Luke with her life.

Warning: Contains interspecies lust between a bloodwolf and a vampire, and desire thick enough to cut with a blade.

Read an excerpt here!

Is Boundless Love Real?

by Nikki Duncan

Boundless.

More than broad, built, or buff we want our romance novel heroes to be boundless in their desire and love. We want them to value the women they’re falling for in every way. We look for believable relationships built on respect and admiration for what makes their heroine strong as well as patience and understanding for the things which make her vulnerable.

As women in real life, we want a sexy man at our side and in our bed, but we also want those unseen strengths that drive book heroes. Dedication. Willingness to admit he’s in love with one woman. Commitment. We covet them with such conviction we’ll defend out decisions to read romance novels, and expect those qualities in real life, when others disparage our choice of genre or even us. I sure know as writers we defend it.

I wonder though how many people truly believe in the kind of relationships found in books. I’m talking the depth of belief we had in Santa when we were children. A belief strong enough to have us turn from something good that could maybe make us happy to instead wait for something great. The belief that has us asking, like Steve from The Wedding Planner, “What if what’s good really is good, but there’s something greater?”

What if?

Now, I’m not saying jump ship from a relationship because of not great moments. I’m not saying anyone should expect perfection or fireworks every day, but I do wonder if more people held out for greatness and then worked to keep it if we’d have more happily married couples. More successful marriages and families. I mean, sure, there’s nothing easy about love, marriage, or family. Nothing. We’re all a little dysfunctional, which if you ask me is what gives life color and personality.

But I still wonder.

Do you think people rush in too fast and settle for something that’s just ‘good’? Do you believe in a boundless love? Have you already found it? Or are you still looking?

Heart stopping puppy chases, childhood melodrama and the aborted hangings of innocent toys are all in a day’s work for Nikki Duncan. This athletic equestrian turned reluctant homemaker turned daring author, is drawn to the siren song of a fresh storyline.

Nikki plots murder and mayhem over breakfast, scandalous exposes at lunch and the sensual turn of phrase after dinner. Nevertheless, it is the pleasurable excitement and anticipation of unraveling her character’s motivation that drives her to write long past the witching hour.

The only anxiety and apprehension haunting this author comes from pondering the mysterious outcome of her latest twist.

To learn more about Nikki, visit her at www.NikkiDuncan.com or www.SensoryOps.com.

Nikki’s book SOUNDS TO DIE BY is available now in print and digital formats here: My Bookstore & More

SCENT OF PERSUASION is available in digital format only at this point.

I don’t know about you, but August flew by! I’m sure it feels that way because two weeks of the month were spent on my jaunt to Canada and the Pacific Northwest.

That’s the plan anyway.

So, say you saw this picture on the cover of a book…
What do you think the story is about? Have fun with it!

This will be a dismally short report card. I dithered away this last week.

Okay, so I didn’t exactly accomplish nothing. I had to finish a final round of copyedits for Ravished by a Viking, which called for me to retool chapters 13 and 14. That was more work than expected. Which meant my plans for everything else were hosed.

I only completed one chapter of the fourth Lone Star Lovers book.

What does that mean for this week? I have to work like a bitch on crank. I’ve been so good for so long about keeping ahead of deadlines that this lapse is causing me a great deal of stress. Add to the fact I have to help watch kids and dogs this next week for my daughter’s family, and I hope like hell I can get through all the work I need to or I’ll be even farther behind.

Wish me luck and health (and sanity).

And because I feel like I have to put my goals out there or I will cheat, here’s what I HAVE to complete by this time next Sunday:

* Complete through chapter 7 of LSL-4
* Complete chapter four of Bad Moon Rising
* Re-envision and restart work on Viking-2
* Publish Pleasing Sir on Kindle and Smashwords
* Get the prep work done for September’s Plotting Bootcamp with Rose’s Colored Glasses