January is flying by. I guess that’s good, I can’t wait for warmer weather. I can’t complain too much though, this winter has been mild for the most part *knock on wood* Also, baseball season is coming up! I know you’re all as excited as I am about this. I’ve got a Swedish exchange student living at my house who has (get this) never seen a baseball game. Doesn’t that just hurt your heart? Don’t worry, I’m taking care of the situation.

Favorite Song of the Week ~ Etta James passed away early Friday morning. She will be missed. Here is the song that made her famous: At Last:

Work in Progress News ~ Still chugging away on Dean’s story. Book two in the Earth Scents series. I had a great name for my hero, but now I can’t use it. Lots of reasons why. I’m blogging at RomanceWritersBehavingBadly on Monday 1/23/12. You can help me out with my angst over there.

Industry News ~ Besides the big Apple announcement regarding a user friendly interface to upload ebooks to iTunes (which looks to be for textbooks, not fiction) the only news I have to share is that the big Print On Demand (POD) publisher Createspace (aka Amazon’s POD wing) did some tweaking on their end. This makes paperback books sold through them earn a lot more royalty! I celebrated by lowering the retail of all my paperback books some by almost three dollars! Plus, over at Dark Mountain Books, we’re offering a “buy the paperback, get the ebook free” promotion. It’s like buying a DVD and getting the digital format for your portable device!

Search Term of the week aka How People Found My Websites ~  I’m sharing three this week. To this person: ”dowload tessa pride on to your nook for free”, I wish you wouldn’t (subtext implied) And ‘download’ has an N in it. To this person: “earth scents 2 brynn” I’m working on it! See above. To the two people who found my site by searching for “fun contemporary romance authors”, I love you.

What I’m reading ~ I read a very good one this week. And again, it’s book two of a series, and I didn’t realize it until halfway through this one. It’s okay, it stands alone just fine. This is an older man younger man romance, and K.A. Mitchell is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Here’s a snippet that I just have to share. I don’t even need to set this up:

“C’mon. I’ll take you downtown for some pie.”

“How heteronormative”

“I can’t have pie on Thanksgiving because straight people do?

“Fine. Have pie. I want crepes.”

Anyone who can give her characters personality through four sentences is my kind of author.  I’m off to read book one now…

Hero Quote ~ From the unnamed hero in the unnamed work in progress mentioned above:

 ”I’m not pouting about being single. I like being single. I just don’t want to see your lovey dovey crap. You’re my little sister for Christ’s sake.”

Okay boys and girls. I’m off to do wild author things (Twitter) so you all play nice. Have a great weekend!

Welcome! Halfway through January already! So far I’ve had a mild winter, weather-wise. I hope that translates to an early spring and a nice warm summer. Well, I can hope.

This picture was taken yesterday by author Gem Sivad from her back yard. I love birds of prey, they’re so majestic!

Favorite Song of the Week ~ Just try to watch this without smiling. Yeah I know, I’ve regressed in age here, but seriously. Fun song:

Work in Progress News ~ Can you believe I started two new wips this past week? Crazy. But I finally started Dean’s story, book two in the Earth Scents series.  I’ve been meaning to write this one for years. It feels good to get some words down.

Search Term of the week aka How People Found My Websites ~ Well, this doesn’t sound good, but okay: “his tongue was suddenly in my mouth “nasty” kiss”

What I’m reading ~ I read a few short stories this week, as well as re-reading some old faves. I think I might spend as much time reading as I do writing. That’s okay, right? So I reread Trina M Lee’s Once Bitten this week. If there’s ever anything that will help me clear my mind of all things contemporary romance, this will do it. Although this isn’t a romance, there are some very sexy scenes, and some extremely alpha male scenes:

Alexa O’Brien has never been like other people. A deadly assassin, she is a werewolf with extraordinary power. Power that fiercely draws her to Arys, a mysterious vampire who awakens her dark side. What they create together is dangerous and binding, forcing her to question the source of her abilities. She risks losing her remaining humanity as well as the one man she dares to love.

When Alexa’s womanizing former lover and pack Alpha is framed for murder, he turns to her for help. She would like nothing more than to watch karma at work but as the body count rises, long buried secrets are exposed. Alexa is forced to face the painful truth that not everyone is who she thinks they are. Not even her.

This is book one of an ongoing series. Not for the Twilight fan, I’ll tell you that.

Hero Quote ~ From my book Last Call, coming March 27th:

“Now, I don’t know what your ex said to make you feel inadequate as a sexual being, but let me tell you something. You sure as hell know how to turn me on. You’re definitely a sexual being.”

All right, that’s all I’ve got for you this week. Thanks for stopping by! 

Favorite Song of the Week ~ I had to look on past posts to make sure I haven’t shared this song yet, because I’ve loved it for a long time. This is INXS with Afterglow.

Work in Progress News ~ Alanna wrote a free read last week, since she actually FINISHED Wyoming Solace rewrite! Tolja she would! The free read is a prequel to Retreat, titled Treat. Michael at Booknibbles.com made the cover, and it goes so well with the cover Amanda Kelsey created for Retreat, I just can’t believe it. The couple even looks like a younger version of the couple on Retreat. And his eyes…what do you think? Click to go to Smashwords where you can download your favorite format.

Industry News ~ Uh…from now on I’m just going to post this when I actually have news for you guys.

Search Term of the week aka How People Found My Websites ~ This one made me laugh: “goodluck olivia at yahoo dot cum”

Yeah.

What I’m reading ~ One of my very favorite authors released a new book late last month. I forced myself to wait until I finished my projects so I could really relax and enjoy it. It’s totally worth the wait, guys. Cameron Dane’s A Perfect Storm. “On an island off the coast of Maine, Lucien Cabot monitors the dark clouds rolling across a bleak sky. Patience and planning have been Lucien’s two closest friends for years, and now Mother Nature has aligned to create the perfect storm he needs to exact his revenge.

Television producer Sophie Emerson can’t believe her luck when the mysterious owner of Raven Island offers her a story about the island and castle. She really can’t believe it. Still, if real, this offer could be the break her career needs. Although suspicious, Sophie agrees to meet Lucien at his home.

Gotcha. Lucien can taste victory — if he can resist the keen intelligence, beauty, and light in Sophie. Falling for his guest is the last thing Lucien can afford to do.”

Cameron has a flair with putting emotion into every page. Brilliant.

Hero Quote ~ From Jake in the new free read TREAT. This is right after Andi tells him that his mouth drives her crazy:

“Good. I like you crazy. Then you stop thinking. Then you’ll do something irresponsible like take your clothes off.”

Men! Gotta love ‘em tho, right? Okay folks, that’s it for me. Everyone have a great week!

Look who’s made the long trip to my blog for a visit! It’s Chastity Bush, the paranormal erotic romance author! We sat down over a cuppa to discuss writing, life, and a bunch of nonsense.

So Chastity, do you remember the first romance novel you ever read?

The first romance novel I remember reading was For the Roses by Julie Garwood.

I’ve heard wonderful things about that book, but haven’t picked it up yet. Did you like it?

I’ve always been a fan of westerns and this one was right up my alley. I stopped reading for a long time after I had our daughters until one day I picked up A Reckless Beauty by Kasey Michaels and fell in love with reading all over again. Now, I always have a book in my hand.

Oh me too. *eyes my Kindle within grabbing distance* And you know how good it is for kids to see their parents read. (Thanks, Mom!) I write on my dining room table. If I serve something messy for dinner, I’ll actually fold up my laptop and put it away for an hour. What about you? 

At the moment I use a laptop, so I can plant myself anywhere and type whatever pops into my little head.

Oh. Maybe I should try moving around. My bed is way too comfortable, I end up napping. Anything you can’t live without when writing?

Hard candy. I absolutely have to have cinnamon hard candy while I write. I’m a complete addict.

Mine is music. Though lately I’m wondering if it hurts my word count when I sing and dance along. Do you listen to music when you write?

Sometimes. I love older music like The Clash, The Kinks, and The Ramones. But I also like newer music like Kings of Leon, Shinedown, Cage the Elephant, etc. Pretty much anything on the radio is fine with me as long as there’s some noise in the background, I’m good.

I suppose my characters start doing funky things when I listen to acid rock. Hey, that might be a fun chapter! Is there any humor in your books?

Absolutely. I’m a very sarcastic, playful person. I couldn’t imagine writing characters lacking a sense of humor.

Does your family know what you do?

Yes. My husband is very supportive of me. He even helps me when I’m stuck on an idea. My daughters are both still young enough (12 and 8 ) that they really don’t care what I do as long as dinner is cooked and they have clean clothes. J

Well that’s handy, your own live-in critique partner! He probably appreciates that you don’t write frou frou romances, huh? What’s your favorite genre to write?

My favorite genre to write is paranormal. I’ve always loved anything to do with the paranormal/supernatural. When I started writing my first paranormal, it just came to me naturally. My favorite genre to read is a toss up between historical and paranormal.

I read just about everything, but I admire you paranormal authors. I don’t think I could write one convincingly. Is there a genre you’d love to be able to write, but don’t think you can pull it off?

Victorian and Highland historicals. I love reading these books, but there’s no way I could ever write one.

Oh yeah, me either. Way too much research lol. Which of your main characters do you think is most like you? 

Most like me? I’d have to say Tina James from Killer Kisses. She’s sassy, sarcastic, doesn’t take crap from anyone, is totally open-minded, but still has a soft heart. I think my family would agree.

Okay, I gotta know. Barefoot, or slippers?

Barefoot. I’d go everywhere barefoot if I could.

Nightgown or nude?

Nude, of course! What kind of erotic/romance writer would I be if I slept in flannels? (just kidding!)

I saw a guy running from an overnight fire in the nude. Keep your robe handy, Chastity! Haha, Okay, big American car, or compact import?

Big, American car. I drive a big silver Dodge Ram.

Hey, I have a silver Dodge Charger! Wanna race? No? Maybe later? Okay…naturally furry, or manscaped?

Manscaped. Nothing like a 70’s porn-bush sticking to you like Velcro to kill the mood.

That’s hilarious. How will I get that image out of my head!? Okay, now for one of my favorite questions from Bloom County. Did Adam and Eve have navels?

Sure, why not?

Well…if you put it that way…you’re right! Why the hell not? How about this one. If you were one of the five children who won a golden ticket for a day in Wonka’s factory, which child would you have been? What would be the one item from the factory you’d sneak home?

I’d probably be Violet. I have a huge sweet tooth. I’d probably take as much chocolate I could get my hands on. I love chocolate.

See I’d be Charlie. I’m such a nice quiet shy unassuming girl…Hey, when you fold your hands, is your right thumb over your left, or the other way around? 

Left over right.

Hm. I’m right over left.what do you think it means?

I’ve never really thought about what this might mean. Also, as a side note, when I hold my hand up, fingers together, my two middle fingers stay separated just a little. Maybe there’s a Vulcan in my ancestors somewhere?

Or maybe you’re from Ork like Mork. Oops, showing my age there. Well, in for a penny…do you think we’ll get our hoverboard by the year 2015? Was Marty McFly a big fat liar?

I sure hope so! How cool would a hoverboard be?!

I’d never walk again, that’s for sure. I’d take it on the moving sidewalks at the airport, yeah? Okay, last question, then I’ll let you get back to your cinnamon candy. You can ask for help with this one: How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?

According to my eight year old daughter, about five million.

I think she’s pretty close. Hey, pull your laptop up here, we can get some words in while your daughter counts to five million. 

Keep up with Chastity:      Twitter      Facebook      Website/Blog    

What? The last day of 2011?  It has been a good year to me. I’ve got three releases lined up for 2012, and plenty of wips to keep me busy.

Favorite Song of the Week ~ One Day, by Matisyahu, featuring Akon. This song was played at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics:

Work in Progress News ~ I came up with a brilliant plot idea. Unfortunately I can’t start writing it until I finish Wyoming Solace. I’ve really slacked over the holidays, and since the kids are out of school and it *is* a holiday, I’ve rationalized my laziness. I’m now about 3/4 done with it though, and I hope to finish by next Saturday’s status. Next on the list, a free read complementing Retreat. It will act as a prequel, maybe 10K or so, nothing big, but just a little taste of the book.

Industry News ~ Sorry. Again, I have no interesting news. I’m sure there’s some out there…

Search Term of the week aka How People Found My Websites ~ 99% of the terms this week were pretty normal. This one stuck out: “i asked him to come on my face erotic blog”. I refuse to even find out where that took them on Olivia’s site. Now that I’ve posted that sentence, I’m probably asking for more of the same.

What I’m reading ~ Okay, so Santa brought me a Kindle. In fact, before he wrapped it and put it under my tree, he got on my computer and loaded my TBR pile onto it. He’s so thoughtful! So yeah, while I’ve been slacking in the WiP area, I’ve more than made up for it in the TBR area. I read a few Christmas shorts, nothing that thrilled me too awful much. I think my favorite of the last two weeks was Wanting, by Piper Vaughn. This is a freebie over at All Romance Ebooks, but I’d forgotten that when I started reading it. It’s very well written, and I enjoyed the premise. Kind of a May/December best friend’s little brother forbidden thing. Lots of little conflicts, and satisfying emotional scenes.

Hero Quote ~ From Cody, the hero in Wyoming Solace.

“I won’t hurt you, Elise. I promise. You’re in charge here. I’ll follow your lead.”

Okay, that’s it for me. Let’s hope that by next weekend I’ll be able to say that I’m finished with the rewrite. Everyone have a great New Year’s Day!

A little late with this.  In the middle of a busy weekend.

Remember last week how I mentioned that I had a believer at home? Well that status has changed to “informed”. Thanks to a little boy in the third grade who felt the need to share. Unfortunately.

Favorite Song of the Week ~ It’s YouTube’s Closed Caption Fail–Christmas edition. I’ll let Rhett and Link explain it:

Work in Progress News ~ I’ve been on page 89 in Wyoming Solace for a while now. I keep going back and tweaking scenes, researching dialogue, and overall just plain procrastinating. I do have a new release date for WS, June 26, 2012 which is about six weeks earlier! So I really need to stop messing around and finish this rewrite! I also came up with another book idea, so that’s been percolating in the back of my mind. Along with the others there…

Industry News ~ For the last three weeks in a row, Amazon has been selling at least a million Kindles per week. Go ahead and reread that. 1,000,000 Kindles each week. It’s pretty amazing. That means three million new devices out there just waiting for new content! I know I’ve got one under the tree just taunting me right now.

Search Term of the week aka How People Found My Websites ~ This week, along with the usual, I have this one: “bus hunks”. So I started thinking about this guy: I just realized his license plate was a soul patch. What a kick.

What I’m reading ~ I bought Sara Brooks’ Hard as Stone as an incentive to finish Wyoming Solace. I thought if I told myself it was waiting for me, I’d quit dinking around. Instead, this guy was sitting on my desktop whispering naughty things into my ear, and since I have no willpower, I succumbed. I don’t even feel guilty about it! Blurb:

Brady thrives on saving patients in his busy emergency room, but when things don’t go according to plan, he’s unprepared for a chance encounter. There’s something familiar, and mysterious, about the downright sexy-as-hell stranger he encounters on a busy Chicago street.

In Garrett’s world, there are no coincidences. He’s been the doctor’s secret guardian for years. Driven by a burning need unknowingly stirred by Brady more than a decade ago, Garrett finally breaks his silence. He steps in to show Brady there’s more to life than rescuing those in need.

Roused by their desperate passion for one another, their desire reaches an explosive breaking point. Brady realizes one night isn’t enough, but Garrett is bound by rules he can’t change. Now Brady’s healing touch may save more than just a life—it may just save Garrett’s soul.

This is a beautiful story, and I’m glad my willpower sucks.

Hero Quote ~ from Olivia’s book Falling Star:

“I don’t want to scare you away before I’ve had a chance to thoroughly impress you with my wit and wisdom.”

I suppose that’s it for me. I’ll probably skip next weekend’s post, I’m sure you understand. Have a Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays to all!

A divorcee ready to reenter the dating world, Anna Ryan is determined to be the best “product on the market,” which requires a lot more experience so she propositions sexy police officer Chase Harris to teach her how to make hot, passionate love as opposed to just having sex. He takes it a step further, instructing each lesson based on The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Okay, now to turn this post over to Casey:

You know that show Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo, right? Of course you do. Patti Stanger rocks with her take no crap from anybody self. I love it when she says “the pecker does the picking.” Well, that got me thinking about a scene in my debut released Dec. 6^th! In CAN’T FAKE THIS, Anna’s ***that other P word** does the picking. The attraction she feels for Chase is instantaneous. Here’s a snippet to illustrate what I’m talking about:

As I rummaged through my clutch for a dose of lip gloss, Marisol cleared her throat and cut her gaze across the room. I followed her line of vision and… Holy shit. I do believe my freakin’ heart stopped. He wasn’t supermodel gorgeous, not with his shaved head and height a tad on the short side, but his swagger… His near-predatory confidence as he maneuvered through the room made my eyes zero in on him. He locked on me, and I felt a slow, lazy smile spread across my lips. Suddenly we were the only two people in the room. My blood pressure hitched a degree with every step he took, and that feeling a girl gets when her heart beats so fast she’s on the verge of throwing up? Yep, I had it. I believe the technical term is “lust at first sight.”

A second later, his warm hand brushed my shoulder, and I’m not kidding, I thought I might melt right off that stool. Even the fine hairs on my arms stood on end, completely attuned to him and begging for attention. Needless to say, my nipples gave him a proud salute.

“Hi, I’m Chase Harris.” His heated breath tickled my ear as he leaned in to be heard over the country rock band jamming out twenty feet away.

My lungs folded and decided breathing was no longer necessary. The brief contact ignited a fiery liquid in the bottom of my tummy. My pussy simmered for the first time in years without the aid of batteries. “Anna Ryan,” I answered. “It’s nice to meet you.” Was it ever. I extended my hand, which he ignored for a hug.

My nostrils filled with the citrus scent of cologne, but underneath I detected something more masculine, more primal. I longed to bury my face in his soft gray fitted T-shirt. The garment outlined every perfect bulge. I couldn’t make out its graffiti design, but it very well could’ve said Eat Me and I would’ve happily obliged.

His gaze roamed my body, and the sexy glint in his eyes told me the risk of catching a cold in this black strapless mini was totally worth it. I might be in dire need of a boob job, but Chase didn’t seem to mind my negative As. Then the space between us grew cold as he left my side to hug Marisol.

“Cuba! Hey, woman. Great to see you.”

“Hey, yourself.” She flashed me a shrewd grin.

I so owed that girl.

I’d love to hear about moments you’ve had where the attraction blows you away!

Casey Crow is a Summa Cum Laude graduate from the University of Alabama with degrees in Business Management and Dance.  She received her Master of Business Administration from the University of Mobile.  Casey resides in Mobile where she stays busy with her two young children.  She also works as a dance choreographer, pageant coach, professional emcee and model, and certified Miss America preliminary judge.  In fact, she is a former Miss University of Alabama.  Casey writes erotic and spicy contemporary romances with the tagline “Sexy, Southern & Sassy.”  

Buy Kindle version on Amazon Buy all versions at Loose Id.  Visit Casey at caseycrow.com CAN’T FAKE THIS Excerpt See the CAN’T FAKE THIS book trailer Follow on Twitter caseyecrow and Facebook Casey Crow

Slowly.

I think the music is helping, and I’ve got a believer at home, so it’s hard not to get sucked into the joy. Wow, sound so cheerful, huh? Maybe I’ll try peppermint candles.

Favorite Song of the Week ~  Someone tweeted a link to this one a few days ago, and I read the copy. I didn’t know that Bing Crosby died just one month after recording this song, and one month before it aired on television in 1977. I think this is one of my favorite cover/mashups. I found a version that left out the cheesy acting in the beginning, because I’m nice like that.

 

Work in Progress News ~ Working diligently on Alanna’s Wyoming Solace. Did you know the word “okay” wasn’t in use in 1894? I’m using the online etymology dictionary and finding lots of gems like this. I also discovered that Cody, the hero in Wyoming Solace is the strong silent type. I can’t seem to get the man to say more than three sentences at a time. I guess that’s just how it’s gonna be.

Industry News ~ I’ve got nothing. You’re welcome.

Search Term of the week aka How People Found My Websites ~ Well, other than the normal “hairy {celebrity} naked” search terms, which I won’t repeat here again, I got this one that made me smile: “sexy hairy trail”. You got it, Googler. Welcome to the sexy hairy trail that is Olivia Brynn.com

What I’€™m reading ~I bought one of the Carina Press Holiday novellas. This is a contemporary friends-to-lovers story that I’ve always been a sucker for, and I read it in between chapters of my western rewrite. I love Shannon Stacey’s style.

Claire Rutledge still believes in love, despite losing her husband. So, after two years, she’s not surprised by the steamy dreams telling her it might be time to start moving on. But she didn’t expect her friend Justin to have the starring role.

Justin McCormick has loved Claire since the moment he first saw her, but his best friend got there first. Now that Claire is ready to move on with her life, Justin is finding it harder than ever to hide his true feelings. And when they both get caught up in the holiday spirits at a party, their simmering mutual attraction boils over into a night neither of them can forget…

See? I read a Christmas themed book. I’m trying folks! Mistletoe & Margaritas is definitely worth a read. Click the cover to get to Amazon and buy your copy.

Hero Quote ~ I went through Cover Story today, not sure why, but I found a typo and a plothole that drove me crazy, I had to fix it and reupload it to the ebookstores. I’m so glad I have control of them in order to be able to do that. While I was there I found a quote from Bo, the younger man in the May/December romance. I’ll have to set this one up though. Cate has just asked him if the dumbstruck women they just passed by was a common occurrence for him. His reply:

“I prefer my women striking. But not dumb.”

Last but not least, you’ll see in the post below that there’s one helluva blog hop going on right now! Just click the banner below to get started. We’re giving away a brand new Kindle Fire, tons of ebooks, and you can meet some new authors and read some festive snippets.  We’ll also be chatting at Gem Sivad’s chat room on Saturday night. Come on! Join the fun!

I  hope you’re having fun on your jaunt through the web. Here on my blog, I’ve got a little Christmas cheer in the form of the Muppets!

I dare you to watch this without smiling.  Enjoy the hop, and I hope to see some of you hoppers over at the Hop Wrap-up Chat on Saturday at 7pm EST.

When sparks flare, stop, drop and roll with it.

When Eric Layton lunges for his ringing cell phone in the middle of the night, he’s halfway to the door before he realizes it’s not his chief summoning him to an out-of-control fire. It’s an out-of-control woman who’s too tipsy to figure out she’s dialed the wrong number. But the line goes dead before he can explain he’s not her brother.

His conscience won’t let him leave the woman to wait for a ride that’s never going to come. Yet nothing prepares him for the chemistry when he helps Joanne into his truck. She’s curvy, blonde, and vulnerable—a three-alarm warning to do the right thing and keep her at arm’s length.

Still keeping watch over her through the night sounds reasonable. Until she awakens, and desire burns reason to a crisp…

This book has been previously published.

Warning: Contains explicit sex scenes that may be too hot for summer reading. Author recommends you check to make sure your air-conditioning is in working order and turned up full blast.

How about an excerpt? I’ve got the first chapter posted on the Last Call Book Page.