Autumn is my favorite season of the year for several reasons:
The colors. All the reds and golds and oranges of the leaves turning colors are simply breathtaking. I live in North Texas, where only a few variety of trees actually change color in autumn. I’m surrounded by mountain cedars and live oaks, which stay green all year long. But those trees that do turn color are spectacular.
The cooler weather. Our summers are hot and humid. Most of us breathe a sigh of relief when the weather starts to turn cooler. Finally, we can walk outside without feeling as if we’re hit in the face with a wet washcloth!
Football. And no, those tight pants the players wear have nothing to do with why I love the sport. Okay, maybe a little.
Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas. (I know Christmas is technically a winter holiday, but don’t burst my bubble.) Those holidays mean fun for the kids, togetherness for family, lots of good food, and laughter. Who doesn’t love watching a child open a present on Christmas morning?
Autumn also means more time inside for reading. I love to curl up in my recliner with a cup of hot tea and an afghan thrown over my lap while I get lost in an author’s world.
I hope you’ll get lost in *my* world and enjoy one of my books. Here’s a little taste of Vella’s Viking, the sixth book in my Anything Goes series.
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Vella’s Viking
He stared into her eyes, and Vella returned his look. She couldn’t remember ever experiencing such a strong attraction toward a man. She’d known desire many times, especially since starting to work at Anything Goes, but not this…this…
She didn’t even know how to describe it.
His good looks drew her, no doubt about that. He had the broad-shouldered build of a swimmer. She guessed his height at about six-two, which made him five inches taller than she. Their heights seemed perfect when she’d looked at him while holding his phone. She’d seen awareness in his eyes and had held her breath in anticipation of his kiss.
A kiss that hadn’t happened. Damn it.
He wore a polo shirt that matched the color of his eyes, and beige khakis. His pants didn’t hang on him and hide the shape of his legs or ass, the way khakis usually did, but molded to his lower body as if specifically made for him. A nice bulge pushed against his fly.
To get her mind back on business, she located the other two new houses in the storage drawer. “Okay, new ones taken care of. What other two do you want?”
“Which ones do you like?”
Vella smiled to herself. She recognized the ploy. So often, men came in to purchase a gift for their loved one without any clue what to buy. “My taste and your mother’s might not be the same.”
“She’ll probably have all of them eventually, so I think I’m safe in letting you pick.”
“Let me see the photos again of the houses she already owns.”
Jonas removed his cell phone from his pocket, handed it to Vella. Their fingers brushed. A zing passed all the way through her body and settled between her thighs.
His nostrils flared, his eyes heated. Vella thought something had passed between them when her mom first asked her to help Jonas, then again when their gazes met when she finished looking at the pictures on his phone. The way he stared at her now, as if he’d like to take her against the wall, made her realize she hadn’t been mistaken.
Being taken against the wall sounded really good.
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More information about Vella’s Viking and all my other books on my website:
When people learn I’m an erotic romance author, I’m not surprised when they ask, “Have you done all the types of sex scenes in your books?” I’ve gotten that question a lot and usually answer with a wink and something like: “Pretty much. I especially liked the space travel to another planet and the ménage with the shapeshifting dragon. That was really hot!”
What does surprise me is when people ask me for advice about their love life and sex live. Really, you’d be surprised both men and women ask me. As if writing kinky romances gives me the expertise of a therapist. Ah, no, it doesn’t, but I’m flattered that they feel comfortable enough to ask. I started wondering what types of sex scenes do my readers like the best in my books. I write lighter sex scenes, (straight, ménage, BDSM, etc.), and a few more intense or edgier scenes.
Recently, I gave a free copy of Steel Reflections, a BDSM short story, to my newsletter subscribers. I later poled them and asked if they prefer the lighter BDSM story or the more hardcore story. I was surprised by their answers, and I received quite a number of responses.
The vast majority said they enjoy both light and hardcore BDSM, as long as there’s a good emotional connection and love story. Some like it on the lighter side and others the edgier the better. One sweet lady even emailed me after reading the story and said she didn’t realize I wrote such kinky stories. Nothing wrong with that, she said, but it wasn’t her taste. She wished me the best with my writing, but wanted to let me know since she prefers the sweet romances, she would be unsubscribing. Some readers even shared the particular lifestyle they live in their own personal lives. From please don’t tell my husband I read these books, with a smile icon, to a reader who lives the BDSM lifestyle 24/7. I love the openness about sex talk.
Sex is fun, a wonderful life experience and expression of love. I believe with a little imagination, or research, you can always turn your love life up a notch, and heat up the romance. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. At the end, I’ll tell you where you can find more ideas if you like. My number one tip before reading any of these would be communication. Talk to your partner about your fantasies, concerns and desires.
7 Sexy Romantic Tips:
Read romance books, the hotter the better. Of course an erotic romance author has to suggest this. Great sex needs two things: intimacy and some imagination. Well maybe it’s not quite that simple, but if you’re lacking in imagination, read the hottest scenes from a romance novel for a few ideas. Read it to your lover, or ask him/her to read a passage. Then act it out.
Some lovers are turned on by visuals. Give an adult movie a try to add sizzle to date night. If soft porn is out of your comfort zone, try a few sexy/romantic ones: Bitter Moon, 9 1/2 Weeks, 50 Shades of Grey, The Dreamers, Last Tango in Paris, Unbearable Lightness of Being, Deception. Just to get you started.
Might have to be careful about where and when, and of course never sext and drive! And always, always double check who will be receiving your sexy text BEFORE hitting SEND! A surprise naughty text or email can heat things up for what will come later.
Change up the routine. Try having sex at a different time, morning, afternoon, middle of the night…And different local, the den, the shower, kitchen, maybe even outside during a mountain hike?? A midnight swim?? How daring do you want to be?
Shop together at an adult store for a new toy. Sometimes it’s all about the O. Too shy to walk into a store? There are plenty of places online. Lelo is one such adult online shop to check out.
Want to heat up your love life and relieve stress? Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV, silence the phone, shut down the computer, and turn the clock around so you aren’t thinking about what you should be doing, or will be doing after. Focus on the moment, your partner and each other’s pleasure.
And sometimes it’s not always about the big O. Enjoy the pleasure of exploring each other’s body, touching, sensual massage, talking about fantasies and desires. It may lead to hot, orgasmic sex, or the stress relief may leave you satisfied and draw you into an comfortable, naked embrace and restful sleep.
Want more ideas? In Kathy’s monthly newsletter, Kathy’s Hot News, she has the Sexy Tips and Steamy Romance Column for subscribers, and a monthly drawing for a gift card. Sign up and also receive a Free copy of STEEL REFLECTIONSClick HERE to sign up
Kathy Kulig is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of erotic romance. She writes erotic contemporary, paranormal and suspense. Her latest book, Secret Escort, is available on Amazon now. It’s book 2 in her Sins of Odyssey series. Mariko’s kinky fantasy comes true with two hot strangers. A chance for a one-night-stand at a billionaire’s home maybe what she needs, what they all need, to satisfy extreme tastes and bone-deep passions, but what happens when past regrets and love gets in the way?
While you’re reading this, I’m making the two-day trip back to Arkansas from Virginia. No doubt by tomorrow, I’ll be all kidded out! Can you imagine taking a car-trip with a 12-year-old, a very loud 7-year-old, a six-year-old, and a three-year-old? Oy! I’ll be so glad to get back home where I can settle into my quiet living room and enjoy the silence! Be thinking of me…
I always say that there is nothing like a man in uniform – I’m sure most ladies agree. One Memorial Day weekend when I was in New York City, it was “Fleet Week.” Amidst the crowds of people, who stood out the most? The men wearing sharp looking military uniforms. I think the reason why I like men in uniform so much is they appear to be “squared away.” Whether military or law enforcement, their uniforms are usually pressed and depending what they are doing, they may wear medals, etc.
The point of being “squared away” is to intimidate and to impress, to draw respect from the public. For example, a person is going to respect a police officer more if his appearance is neat: his duty belt polished, his uniform pressed, his hair trimmed neatly, his badge and/or nametag straight. It’s truly an officer safety issue.
By the way, I have the utmost respect for the men and women who serve our country either here on home soil or overseas, be it military or law enforcement. They truly help keep our great nation safe.
On a more personal note, I have both my AA and my BS in Criminal Justice, I used to be an emergency dispatcher, and also have law enforcement training. In addition, my significant other has been a in law enforcement for 24 years, and is currently a Captain. So my life revolves around police.
If you can tell, I love all aspects of law enforcement. I love to write stories about law enforcement males because they’re usually Alpha. And I love Alpha men, how about you?
So far, my contemporary erotic romances include Alpha males in two types of uniforms: law enforcement and football.
The Rip Cord trilogy (football) m/m erotic romance:
JEANNE ST. JAMES is an erotic romance author who loves an Alpha male (or two). She was only 13 when she started writing since it gave her an escape from teenage angst! Her first paid published piece was an erotic story in Playgirl magazine. Her first erotic romance novel, Banged Up, was published in 2009. She is happily owned by farting French bulldogs. She writes M/F, M/M, and M/M/F ménages.
From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! I know that not all of you are USAers, but I’d love to hear what you all give thanks for today. For my part, I’m thankful to be with both of my children and all of my grandchildren this holiday. Can you believe I have seven plus a step?! I got pregnant in kindergarten. 🙂
Today I’m so happy to share with you the cover of my latest release, COWBOY RISING, available now.
Syneca Featherstone creates all the gorgeous covers for my cowboy books and uses different combinations of stock images to get the characters and mood of each book just right.
True story…when I posted this cover to my Facebook page a few days ago, an author friend recognized one of my cover models! By way of introduction, she tagged us both. I’ve never met a model from one of my books (super duper cool) so I asked Angelina if she would do an interview. She said yes!
Everyone, meet Angelina Cavanaugh…
Tell us how you got into the cover modeling business. In the summer of 2013, I was contacted by a local photographer who thought I’d be great for cover modeling. Turns out she was right! We met and instantly hit it off. I’ve never looked back. Taria Reed has been a great friend and a talented woman. We love pushing our creative limits together. 🙂 Check her out for digital artwork, covers, and custom shoots!
Do you get much notice when you’re going to be on a cover or where you’ll turn up? I usually don’t get much notice when I’m going to be on a cover or making an appearance. It’s really challenging as a female cover model to get recognized, but hey, I’m all about growth! I’ll make appearances and attend conferences whenever I can. The attention is always a blessing when it comes.
Is it weird being the face of a character you’ve never met? It isn’t weird for me to be the face of a character that I’ve never met. As an avid reader, I’ve spent my whole life imagining myself as characters in books. Being able to see my face on the front of those books just makes it even more of an adventure. It’s amazing. It’s always fun to read a character that I’m portraying and say to myself, “Wow, I am nothing like that,” or “Hey, that is totally me!”
What can I tell you about Georgia and Daniel in COWBOY RISING? Don’t tell me anything about the characters. I kind of like the element of surprise!
You have a very striking look. What sort of books and characters do you usually get picked for? To be very honest, I don’t get picked specifically for one kind of book or another more often than any others. However, interracial romance is a big thing and there aren’t a lot of options as far as models go when it comes to custom stock. So I do have to say I have an abundance of interracial romance covers. But I love when I get to dress up in historical costumes or take on a fantasy heroine. Playing dress up is awesome. It gets me into character!
Anything else you’d like romance fans to know about you? I’m just a simple fun-loving person trying to build a life. I have a regular job. I love my friends and family, and I’m passionate about music and art.
How can authors get in touch with you? I’m available for private shoots and appearances. You can follow my daily adventures on Facebook or Instagram @angelina3186. For now, Facebook is the preferred way to reach me.
Thanks for chatting with us, Angelina!
Thank you so much! 🙂
COWBOY RISING
Feisty reporter vs. gruff cowboy—buckle up for a hard ride.
Journalist Georgia Meyers is writing an article about MacKinnon Ranch in a last-ditch effort to save her job at a failing newspaper. At first, the hot-as-hell rancher wants nothing to do with her. But butting heads leads to knocking boots, and soon she’s getting the real story—in bed and off the record. Cattleman’s son and petroleum engineer Daniel MacKinnon turned down a lucrative oil career to take over the family farm. Frustrated about giving up his dreams and worried about money, Daniel buries himself in ranch work—that is, until gorgeous Georgia shows up and rocks him to the core. A blazing one-night stand leads to something deeper. Despite their feelings for each other, he’s tied to the land and she’s a rolling stone. When the time comes to part ways, will the lovers choose duty over desire? Or will they face their fears and rise to the challenge of love? Get ready for sassy banter, sizzling sex, orgasms galore, and a nerdy dirty-talkin’ cowboy who can go all night long.
AVAILABLE NOW: KINDLE UNLIMITED, EBOOK & PRINT Amazon | Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends. She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs.
I’m on vacation, so trying to get out the word is problematic! I hate using that little touch pad on my laptop. 🙂 But I wanted to let you know about the brand new story I have out that is part of Susan Stoker’s Kindle World!
It’s a novelette, and just under 12,000 words, but it’s a continuation, the “what happens after the Happy Ever After” story that was Through Her Eyes. You can read it as a standalone, but you might want to read Wolf’s and Piper’s other story first. Warning! It’s very, very sexy…
Well, here it is! I hope you love it! It’s just $1.99, so it won’t break your pocket book!
Between a SEAL and a Hard Place
The last person world-class sniper, Wolf Kinkaid, expected to see in the crosshairs of his rifle during an operation to take down a drug cartel assassin…was his pretty, bounty hunter wife. He takes the shot, disarming the bad guy, but the assassin wasn’t working alone, and now, Piper is a target for revenge.
Solution? The two of them hole up in a safe house while his team tries to find the assassin’s psychotic brother. Piper and Wolf have issues to resolve, and all that time alone gives them something they haven’t enjoyed in excess for a while—each other. But while they get close, the enemy closes in…
Buy Secret Escort: 
JEANNE ST. JAMES is an erotic romance author who loves an Alpha male (or two). She was only 13 when she started writing since it gave her an escape from teenage angst! Her first paid published piece was an erotic story in Playgirl magazine. Her first erotic romance novel, Banged Up, was published in 2009. She is happily owned by farting French bulldogs. She writes M/F, M/M, and M/M/F ménages.
Tell us how you got into the cover modeling business.
